Gender Sleepy
by Allison Illuminated
Summary: AU. After being in a coma since Jusenkyo, Ranma wakes up to discover his curse and his engagement the hard way. The trouble is, every time he falls asleep, he wakes up thinking he's the other gender! Gender fluid Ranma, sane Akane, reasonable Ryoga. R&A.
1. I'm a What?

Chapter One: I'm a What?

 **Ranma**

Ranma Saotome had never slept so well in his entire life.

Yawning, he stretched as he rose from his bed. Ignoring a pulsing ache in his forehead, he looked at the unadorned ceiling above him. "Oh man, what a weird nightmare. For a second there, I thought the old man had turned into a panda." He sat up and stared at the five people sitting at his feet. Unsure of what to do, his brow crinkled as he blinked repeatedly. "I'm sorry, but where am I?"

"Ranma dear, you're at the Tendo residence. How did you sleep?" the girl nearest to him asked. She had long brown hair and wore a simple yellow dress, and smiled kindly at him as a short haired girl next to her stifled a giggle.

"Fine, I think?" Ranma shut his eyes and shook his head wildly, only to stop as dizziness and nausea overwhelmed him and made him double over. Regaining his composure, he uncomfortably rubbed his left hand as everyone in the room continued to stare at him as if they were waiting for him to get some unspoken joke. _Wait, there's the old man. Who are all of these other people?_ "Old man, do you feel like telling me what's going on?"

Genma Saotome began talking, burst out into a fit of laughter, then stopped again. "Boy, you need to man up and take a bath. It's all ready for you, so go ahead."

Ranma tilted his head sideways. "Huh?"

"Yes, I believe that you've lost sight of your personal hygiene in your sleep. Please go, ahem, rediscover yourself," Genma choked out.

He raised an eyebrow in utter confusion. "What is going on?"

Another girl with bluish hair tied back in a yellow boy crawled forwards and grabbed him by the shirt. "Your idiot father is trying to tell you that you stink. You're coming with me."

"Hey!" Ranma protested as he was dragged by his collar out of the room and down the hall. "Tell me what the hell is going on! At least tell me your name."

The girl shoved a door open and roughly pushed him inside. He fell hard on the tile floor with a groan and stared back up at her unforgiving face. For just a second, he thought he saw something flash across it before she grew stony again. Was it pity? "I'm Akane. We'll tell you everything after you get out of the bath, okay?"

Ranma tried to rise to his feet, only to discover that his legs didn't feel like carrying his weight. He hung his head as he fell back on all fours. "What happened to me?" Crawling forwards, he dragged himself to the edge of the bathtub and stuck his finger in. "It's cold! What are you playing at, Pops?" he yelled at the top of his lungs. "Do you want to give me pneumonia?"

"Just get in the damn water!" a chorus of voices rang out from the other room.

Sighing, he pulled himself over the edge of the tub and let himself fall in.

Ranma Saotome had never screamed so loud in his entire life.

 **Akane**

Akane groaned as she followed the rest of the members of the Tendo household down the hall and into the kitchen. _Why did Father have to come up with this stupid scheme in the first place?_ _He's going to flip when he learns about his curse, let alone the fact that he was engaged against his will while in a coma!_

Right on queue, a scream ripped through the house, one that was both terrifying and decidedly feminine. Kasumi frowned slightly as she pulled a teakettle off of the pot rack and began to boil hot water. "Oh my. I'm afraid Ranma might have taken his curse the wrong way."

Akane growled as she worked to get her emotions under control. Seething, she turned to the two men creeping away from the room. "You two! When this goes south, I'm blaming you. Also, put the video camera away, Nabiki."

Her older sister faked a pout as she slipped a camcorder under a chair. "But how else will I be able to blackmail your fiance?"

She didn't have time to respond as a short red haired girl wearing nothing but a pair of shorts sprinted around the corner and launched herself at Genma Saotome. "POPS, I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!" she screamed as her foot connected with the old man's face.

The old man went flying into the koi pond as Akane watched with a mixture of awe and hatred. Ranma landed with a pant and turned her glare on the Tendos. "You have five seconds to explain this to me before I hurt someone."

Kasumi smiled brilliantly and gestured to the teapot before looking over the girl's shoulder. "Ranma, I do believe that your father is trying to tell you something."

The newly turned girl looked back to see a panda standing in the koi pond holding up a sign that read ::You were cursed at Jusenkyo. Not very manly of you, boy.::

Ranma's eyes widened, and she staggered back a few paces, breathing heavily. "I'm… cursed? This isn't a dream?"

Kasumi shook her head. "No, I'm afraid not, dear."

Akane tried to walk forwards to put a hand on the girl's shoulder but stopped short as an inhuman shriek ripped its way from the redhead's throat. "YOU'RE DEAD!"

Akane buried her face in her hands as Nabiki gleefully recorded the footage of a topless girl playing a violent form of volleyball with an overweight panda. "Dear god, could this possibly get any worse?" she muttered.

Soun watched the fight thoughtfully. "I see that we have picked well! The schools will surely be joined with such a boy! I do suppose that it probably isn't a good time to tell him about the engagement, though..."

"THE WHAT?"

"This is getting me more money by the second!"

"Oh my!"

::Why'd you stop fighting, boy? Too much of a girl to beat me?::

Akane sat down and tried to drown out the idiocracy around her as the sinking feeling overwhelmed her that she was in for a long ride.

 **[A/N] AU where Ranma goes into a coma after hitting her head at Jusenkyo, and discovers that he's gender fluid once he wakes up. Akane is the sane one in this fic. Most chapters will probably be longer and crazier.**

 **Signing out, Allie**

 **[Edit 2/11/18] Grammar**


	2. Prior Engagements

**[A/N] Really, this is just the second part of the first chapter, but I wanted to make sure all of you lovely people who followed this story get a chance to see it. Many thanks to all of you.**

Chapter Two: Prior Engagements

 **Ranma**

Ranma sat despondently in his chair as he watched cold water wash over his body for the fifth time in as many minutes. "Kasumi, can you change me back for good this time?"

The older girl nodded and poured the last of the lukewarm water over Ranma's head. He sighed as he returned to his normal form. _I hate this! Why did Pops have to take to that stupid training ground in the first place? That Baka can't ever read Chinese! If he got into any other trouble while I was asleep…_

He shuddered and forced himself not to think about it as he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Nothing he had ever experienced could have prepared him for the first change. The irreversible feeling of losing himself… It was as if he had suddenly been wearing a glove that was several sizes too small, with holes at all of the fingertips so the cold could still get in. He was a man! He wasn't supposed to turn into some weak girl whenever he hit water! He hated it, and he never wanted to change again. "Where did everyone else go?" he questioned the oldest Tendo.

Kasumi frowned thoughtfully. "Well, after you sent Father and Genma flying halfway across Nerima, Nabiki and Akane decided that it would probably be safer to get out of your way. We had decided beforehand that I would be the one to tell you about the curse anyway, so…"

"Damn, this whole coma is so unfair. I'm probably totally rusty, too. What else did you talk about while I was asleep?" he growled, getting to his feet with a frown.

She stood up and put the empty teakettle down on the stove before turning to the sink to do the dishes. "Well, our chiropractor Dr. Tofu came around a lot to monitor your condition, so we discussed with him about that sort of thing. We also talked about, well, the arrangement our parents made, and-"

"I ain't doing no arrangement!" he exclaimed as he jumped to his feet. "What sorta good for nothing parent tries to marry his kid off in a coma?"

"Calm down, Ranma. Please don't overexert yourself after being in a coma for so long," she said soothingly.

His rage deflated like a popped balloon, although his anger still boiled under the surface. "I s'pose you're right. Do you have somewhere that I could work out?"

"But-"

"Kasumi, please." Ranma walked up to her and rested his hands on the counter next to the sink. She had her eyes focused on the task at hand, not looking up at him. "I appreciate the concern, really, but I just need to be alone right now."

Kasumi sighed and nodded as she lathered a saucepan. Smiling weakly, she said, "Well, the dojo is out back if you really think that you need to use it. We don't call this place the Tendo Dojo for nothing."

Ranma couldn't quite bring himself to smile back. "Thanks, I appreciate it."

In the dojo, the unadorned wall was lined with all matter of tools and dummies for training. Ranma ignored them as he settled down on the floor to meditate for a few minutes, trying to calm his raging thoughts. He took deep breaths in an effort to steady himself, trying to imagine himself sitting alone in the middle of the woods.

Sure, he had been in worse situations in his life. A certain experience involving a dark pit filled with demonic felines immediately came to much. That being said, he couldn't help but to marvel at the hopelessness of his current situation. He was going to turn into a girl when he touched cold water. Forever.

Feeling his stony countenance begin to slip, he tried to cast around for a possible solution. Didn't the curses on TV always have a cure? Surely there had to be a way to stay a man among men forever. There had to be a way, for his sake.

Satisfied that he had something to hold onto, Ranma got to his feet and slipped into one of the most complex katas he knew, driving himself to release his rage into the art. He kicked, punched, and flipped his way around the plain wooden floor, imagining that every blow was aimed straight at his father's head. Filled with a grim satisfaction, he let his fears wash away into his concentration, fickle as the ebbing tide.

 **Akane**

"Ranma?"

Akane had been surprised when Kasumi had told her that Ranma was in the dojo, to say the least. _Does that idiot know what he's doing? He's been in a coma for a month! He can't just get back up and do martial arts after that!_

Now that she could see him in action, though, her breath seemed to be stuck in her throat. His moves were more graceful that hers for sure, although they carried an angered edge that scared her slightly. Her awe was quickly overtaken by her jealousy, and she glowered at him as he spun around into a midair kick. _No! This isn't how it's supposed to happen. I'm the best martial artist in the house! He's just a weak coma patient with head trauma and a ridiculous curse. How do they expect me to marry someone who's better than me at martial arts?_

She could practically hear her father whispering about joining the schools as she stepped onto the dojo floor.

"Ranma!"

The dark-haired boy froze mid-swing and dropped to the ground. "Oh, hi, erm… Akake?"

"It's Akane," she replied icily, consciously forcing her fists to unclench. _See? I knew Nabiki had no idea what she was talking about! I don't even need to search for reasons to dislike him because he's handing them to me on a silver platter. This engagement is already dead, as far as I'm concerned._ "You can stop flaunting around now."

Ranma frowned, then crossed one foot over the other as he locked his hands behind his head. "What's with you? All I said was hi. Besides, I think you owe me an apology." His frown melded into a cocky grin, and he settled down into a meditative pose on the floor. For the second time in as many minutes, Akane's mouth dropped open as she stared at him. He tilted his head sideways confusedly. "What's wrong? Is anyone there?"

"I owe YOU an apology?" she spat out. "What should I apologize to you for? Besides, I think I think that it's the other way around."

Ranma hummed softly as he stretched to one side. "Why am I apologizing? I ain't done nothing wrong. Hell, I've been in a coma for a month! Here I was, thinking that we could be friends..."

Akane lost it. "Oh yeah, Mr. High and Almighty? How can you care so little? While you've been asleep for a month, I've been stewing over the stupid engagement our parents forced us into! You could at least act in a way that would make me hate you less."

"Hold on." Ranma got to his feet and stared at her intently. "You're saying that this forced engagement is to an arrogant uncute tomboy like you. Why would I want to marry someone like you even if I wasn't forced into it?"

"WHY YOU!" she screeched and launched herself at the unprepared boy, sending him flying backward into the wall. "You can go screw yourself, for all I care."

She stormed out of the dojo, through the kitchen, and into the furoba. Stripping off her clothes, she grabbed her rubber duck and practically threw herself into the warm water.

It took her a few moments for what she had just done to sink in. She squeezed her eyes tight and pressed her forehead against the cool side of the bathtub. "God, I'm an idiot."

She had been practicing that conversation over and over in her head for a month.

Thirty whole days!

 _I was going to try to make this work, wasn't I? Why does he have to make this so hard? I was going to be nice to him, and then he goes and acts like a perfect egotistical jerk! I hate him… don't I?_

She sighed, realizing that trying to have that conversation with a newly awakened and cursed boy informed of his engagement probably hadn't been the best idea. _Way to go, Akane. He even told you that he wanted to be friends. You should have listened to Kasumi._

She sank deeper into the warm water with a defeated sigh. _At least he's not like the other boys. At least he has the decency to be honest about who I really am._

 **Ranma**

Ranma sagged as Akane stormed out of the dojo. _Well, that went poorly._

He hadn't really meant to insult her like that. Well, maybe he had, just a little bit. She walked just like he did, and she didn't exactly seem like any of the girls he had seen that one time his all-boys school had visited their sister school last year. Certainly, she was nothing like Kasumi. Didn't that make someone a tomboy?

He blamed the smelly old panda for not knowing the answer to that question.

 _Really, though, what did I do to make her hate me that much? I've been sleeping, damn it! I wouldn't have said none of that if she hadn't been so… angry with me._

"Stupid engagement…" he muttered as he exited the dojo into what would quickly become his least favorite place in the Tendo household – the garden. To angry to focus on where he was going, he ended up falling into a very cold bath of water instead.

A koi looked on in mild interest as the strange boy fell in and instantly turned into a girl. It had seen stranger things in its lifetime.

Ranma spluttered as she burst out of the pond and landed in a soggy puddle at Nabiki's feet. The middle sister raised her eyebrow as she got to her feet with disgruntlement. "I don't suppose you're planning on telling me why you suddenly veered towards the ponds and fell in, are you."

He turned to look back at the garden with wide eyes. "I think that there's something wrong with your garden, Nabiki."

"I couldn't help but to overhear earlier that you asked Kasumi what we talked about while you were asleep," she whispered slyly, ignoring him. "I could tell you."

"Really?"

"It'll cost you."

Ranma frowned and looked down at her hands. "Sorry, but I don't have any money. Pops and I are broke."

Nabiki frowned as she pulled a massive checking book out of her back pocket. "Well, then. I suppose I'll have to start a tab for you. You can pay me later. What do you want to know?"

Ranma shook his head. "This is going to end poorly for me, isn't it?"

"Yup!" Nabiki said cheerfully as she scribbled something down. "That answer was 50 yen. Next!"

Ranma eyed her warily as she stepped around her. "You're going to charge me every time I answer a question?"

"Absolutely! That's another fifty, so you better remember it."

She gulped before turning to walk away. "I'm going to get out of this stupid body. The furoba's this way, right?

Nabiki frowned. "Well, it would be a bad idea to go in there right now. Akane's still cooling off from the shouting match you two had, so I suggest that you avoid her. Give it an hour or so."

One long bath and transformation later, Ranma was settling down into the bed he had slept in for the past month once again. He sighed, all of the craziness happening in his life spinning in his mind.

 _Well, at least it can't get any worse than this._

 _Can it?_

 **[A/N] Akane spent a little too much time thinking about the engagement. Good think Ranma knows just how to rile her up.**

 **Signing out, Allie**

 **[Edit 2/11/18] Grammar, removed a dropped recurring gag**


	3. Falling off Fences

Chapter Three: Falling Off Fences

[A/N] 34 follows? You guys are incredible! Thank you so much to Richard, Shyguy, and Trickster for your reviews. I appreciate any and all feedback.

 **Ranma**

"Oof!"

Ranma winced as he pulled himself off of the rough Nerima sidewalk, bringing his hand up to massage his face. Anger brimming up inside of him, he glared at the chainlink fence between the sidewalk and the river. _What's wrong with me today? I should have caught myself! No, I shouldn't have fallen in the first place. Did this coma make me go soft?_ _I did do that kata last night after all..._

Akane doubled over in laughter as Ranma woozily staggered to his feet, shaking his head to try and make headache he'd had all day go away. "You fell off the fence again? _Baka,_ you just got out of a coma. Why the hell are you climbing on fences anyway?"

Trying to ignore his pain, he puffed his chest out and tried to loom over Akane intimidatingly. "I'm Ranma Saotome, of the School of Anything Goes. Any true martial artist should be able to balance on anything! Don't you know that?"

Her eyes narrowed, and Ranma gulped as her toe scuffed the ground in irritation. _Did I go too far again? Why am I even trying to be nice to her if she hates me?_ Just as it seemed she was going to snap back, she simply started laughing again. "Didn't you go into that coma in the first place because you couldn't balance in that spring place?"

Ranma's face flushed, and he turned away. "Hey, shut up! It's not like I wanted to go there or be here. Besides, the old man was playing dirty, what was I supposed to do?"

Akane smirked. "Anything goes?"

Despite himself, Ranma smiled slightly. _Even if she does hate me, she's not all bad for an uncute tomboy._

A tiny voice deep in Ranma's head whispered, _If she's an uncute tomboy, what does that make you?_

Willfully, he ignored it, along with the building pressure inside of his chest.

"Ranma?"

"Yeah?"

Akane bit her lip and looked away before quietly saying, "Look, I'm sorry about yesterday. I, well... I have a bit of a temper, and I'm not very good at controlling it. There's this therapist I see and all..."

Ranma froze, trying to compute what Akane had just said. When was the last time someone had apologized to him? "Um... Thanks? I mean, we had just met, and you-"

She groaned and started walking again. "Baka, I gave you the apology you wanted yesterday, you're supposed to say sorry back for being an asshole. You have the manners of a second grader."

He considered that for a moment. "But Pops always told my manners were so much better than his."

"That would explain it."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Ranma started to pace after Akane, watching her interlaced fingers behind her back sway in time with her hair. Her dress flowed down to her knees, and the same yellow ribbon tied her hair back. Grinning slightly, Ranma's hands flew back from his sides and mimicked her posture behind his own back, stepping in time with her.

"Hey, when we get to school..."

As if Akane's voice had brought him back to reality, Ranma quickly tore his hands apart and nodded. "Yeah?"

"At lunch today, do you want to sit with me and my friends? We're all going to be in the same class, so it makes sense. Yuka and Sayuri are really nice too..."

Akane's eyes were hopeful, and Ranma smiled slightly. "I'd like that, I think."

She smiled, big and genuine, for the first time since Ranma had known her. _She has a nice smile,_ he thought contentedly. _I wish she showed it more._

"Hm... Now that I think about it, that's really weird. You're different today than you were yesterday."

He frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Akane scratched her chin thoughtfully. "Well, for one, you're speaking a lot more eloquently today. Also, you're not being such an egotistical asshole."

Ranma blinked. "Was that a compliment? It was probably just the coma and all that. I don't really notice anything different. Wouldn't you be grumpy to wake up to an engagement and a curse?"

 _Well, that's not entirely true... I mean, I feel even worse that I did yesterday, and I don't know why..._

"Still egotistical."

"Hey!"

Akane stopped in front of the Furikan High School sign and turned around to face him. "That was a compliment, and you're right, I suppose. I knew about for a month, and I still couldn't deal with it. Anyways, what I wanted to ask last night was, well, this ridiculous engagement is garbage-"

"You can say that twice..." Ranma grumbled.

"So can we please not tell anyone here about it? I'm fine with being friends, but..."

"What's wrong?"

"Akane Tendo, love of my life, my heart aches to my core for every day I spend apart from you!"

Ranma flashed her a quick glance. "That's the problem?"

Akane's eyes flashed, and she nodded. "Him, and the entire male population of Furikan High."

"Need any help?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "Please, save me your male heroics bullshit. This happens every day. Don't go getting some idea that you're my protector or anything. Kuno Tatewaki!" Akane confidently strode into the center of the schoolyard, dropping her bags at Ranma's feet.

Ranma frowned as he stooped down to pick up her bags. For some reason, the idea of having "male heroics bullshit" was deeply disturbing to him. At least if Akane went down to that loser, he could protect her.

Maybe that was exactly what she was talking about.

Ranma laughed quietly to himself as he clutched the worn fabric handle of her school bag. _Man did I completely undersell her last night. Why was I even such an asshole? I can't even remember what I was thinking. She's kinda funny, and a total badass on top of that. Here I am, Ranma Saotome, holding her bags. Yesterday, maybe I would have jumped in without listening to her, but today... She probably doesn't even need me._

Kuno was a tall boy, wearing an absurd blue getup with a wooden bokken slung over his shoulder. "Have you come to profess your neverending love for me today?"

"In your dreams, lover boy," Akane growled. "Look, if I hurt you first today, will the rest of your cronies get to class on time without bothering me?"

"Why yes, dearest primrose of my dazzling night, I will ever so graciously allow you to grant me a passionate lover's first kiss!"

Ranma sweatdropped. "Is he delusional?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Akane said. "I just play along." Voice dripping with honeyed sarcasm, she strode toward the boy and said, "Why, _yes,_ I can't wait to wait to grace your face with a kiss of my fist."

Kuno swooned, sticking his lips out in a thoroughly unappealing manner. "I grant you my leave. Please, go ahead, fair maiden."

"With pleasure." Ranma blinked as he watched what he could only assume to be pure rage visibly gather around her fist, and she slogged Kuno halfway to Kyoto before turning to the rest of the assembled boys. "You heard _Kuno-senpai_ , get to class before I send you after him."

Seconds later, the schoolyard was empty.

Ranma walked over with newfound respect for Akane as he handed her back her bags. "That was really smart. I probably would have just run in punching. He does kendo, right? Is he any good?"

She smiled twistedly as she made a move for the door. "Unfortunately. He's easily the best in Nerima, so I can't settle it that way. Worse, he told all of those boys that if they could beat me they could date me. If it weren't for meeting some of Yuka and Sayuri's decent friends, I might hate boys or something stupid like that. Last night, I thought you were like them, but now I know better."

Ranma hummed thoughtfully as he rolled his shoulder back. "I bet I could take him. I know a bit of kendo, probably would do it."

Akane stiffened as they entered the school building and headed to the stairs. "You'll need a uniform, and you probably should be avoiding water at all costs," she said with a cold tinge to her voice.

That didn't escape Ranma's notice. "What's wrong?"

Akane stopped mid-step and blinked. Slowly, she unclenched her fists and sat down in the middle of the stairwell. Ranma stared at her as if she had just grown wings as she took three deep breaths before getting back to her feet. "It's nothing, don't worry about it," she said as she started walking again. "Really, it's not worth getting angry over. Breathing exercises calm me down."

They stopped outside of the first year classroom, and Akane nodded at the door. "Okay, this is it."

Ranma stared at the door, suddenly scared to go inside. The pressure in his chest seemed to blossom out like an oil spill, coating his bones and weighing him down to the spot. Gulping, he tried to move forward but couldn't bring himself to step forwards. "I-"

 _I don't want them to see me like this._

 _Wait... like what?_

 _Why don't I want to go in?_

"Ranma, what?" Akane looked at him in concern, and he shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"Um... You see, I haven't exactly been to school in two years."

Akane's jaw dropped, and a furious glare crossed her eyes before a deathly calm came over her countenance. "The panda and I will have words when we get home." Her expression softened, and she grabbed Ranma's hand. "Come on, it's no big deal. Let's go in together."

Quickly, Ranma snatched his hand away. "Hey, what's that for?"

Akane flinched back, a hurt expression on her face, and she took a step back as she bit her lip. "I _was_ treating you like one of my friends because you remind me a bit of Sayuri today. If you had just told me that last night's Ranma was still in there, I would have let you go it alone from the start!" Turning away, she strode into the classroom, leaving him glued to the spot.

 _She was treating me like her friend?_ Looking into the window, he caught a glimpse of Akane sitting down next to two brunettes who were excitedly talking to each other. _Damn it, how did I screw up that bad again? It was going so well before I put my stupid foot in my mouth._

Quietly, Ranma forced himself to slip through the door and take a seat in the back corner of the class, jealously staring at the dark brunette who Akane had just embraced. The classroom was a sea of yellow uniforms, and he knew that he was going to stick out like a sore thumb after he was noticed in his bright red Chinese shirt. Casting his eyes around, he spotted nobody around him to talk to and sighed. _It's not like I had anyone to talk to at my last school either._

"And I assume that Ranma Saotome is absent once again?"

Ranma pulled himself up in his chair, crossed his legs, and said, "No, actually that's me."

Sure enough, every eye in the class turned towards him, and all he wanted to do was shrink into a tiny ball and die. _What's wrong with me today? Normally I would just jut my chest out and smile. I'm probably better than them anyways. At everything._ Desperately, he sought out Akane's attention only to see her pointedly staring out the window.

 _This is going to be the longest day of my life._

True to his predictions, his math homeroom passed brutally slowly. Ranma found himself barely able to grasp the numbers and symbols flying across the board, but every instinct in his body told him not draw attention to himself. Careful to keep his eyes open, he allowed himself to slip into a meditative trance-like his old man had shown him how to, and let the class pass by. At the end, he was about to leave as the professor called, "Ranma?"

Akane pushed past him as he made his way to the front of the class. "Yes sir?"

The older man frowned down at him disapprovingly. "Now, I know about your coma, but I still don't appreciate you showing up here without informing me first. Moreover, I have all of your missed assignments from the past month of school. I expect all of them completed to the highest degree of accuracy by the end of the term. You are dismissed, Saotome."

Ranma's eyes widened as the professor deposited a massive stack of work into his arms. _I can't do this._ Nearly numb, he stumbled out of the classroom and into a sea of people. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally forced his way through the crowd and to the locker Akane had pointed out to him on the way in. Shoving the papers inside, he pulled out his schedule and stared at the course listings under his name.

 _Gym. I love gym._ _I can handle gym._

Glancing up at the clock, he gulped as he realized he was late. Knowing that he didn't need to change, he made a beeline straight for the field. When he got there, the entirety of the rest of the class was already assembled and waiting for him.

The professor, a burly man, growled as he walked up to the group. "Saotome, I presume?"

"Hai."

"If you're a lazy ass in my class, I'll make you run double I would the rest of these fools. Girls, softball. Boys, soccer. Get to it."

A chorus of snickers ran through the class as two groups split off and went off to their respective fields. Hesitantly, Ranma followed after the crowd of boys, hanging back as they split off into teams. He was picked last by a boy with light brown hair and watched as a soccer ball flew into the air.

Ignoring the pervasive wrongness he had been feeling all day, he threw himself at the game with as much energy as he could muster.

Five minutes and seventeen goals later, an exhausted class stood around Ranma in awe. The same boy who had picked him earlier walked up to him, shaking his head in amazement. "I'm sorry, what did you say your name was again?"

Feeling energized from exercising, Ranma tried to summon some of the cocky energy that usually seemed to come naturally to him. "I'm Ranma Saotome," he said with a grin, tilting his head as he jutted out his chest and stuck a hand out. "You?"

"Hiroshi Tsujitani," the other boy replied as he shook his hand, then jerked a thumb over his shoulder at another boy. " That's Daisuke. Nice to meet you."

"LAPS! DOUBLE FOR SAOTOME!"

Ranma couldn't help but smile slightly as he took off around the track. Maybe school wouldn't be all that bad after all.

 **Ranma – One Hour Later**

"Hey, Akane."

Akane, alongside two other girls, stared at him in confusion until Akane's expression morphed into one of anger. "Ranma, what are you doing here?"

Ranma bit his lip. "You asked me this morning whether I wanted to sit with you at lunch, and I said yes. If you don't want me here, I'll just leave."

Her expression was conflicted, so he sighed and turned to leave. Suddenly, a hand shot and grabbed a hold of the back of his shirt. "Hold on! Are you the-"

"Yuka, shush!" The pressure on his shirt loosened, and he turned around to see Akane's two friends staring up at him. "I'm Sayuri, and you must be-" She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial tone. "Akane's fiancee." They both collapsed into a fit of giggles as Akane glowered at them.

"I thought that we've already established that we are _not_ getting married," she hissed. Glancing around, then up at Ranma, her expression softened slightly. "You can still sit with us, I guess. What did the professor want with you in Math?"

He sighed as he settled down crosslegged next to her. "He gave me all of the work for the past month, and told me I have to get it done by the end of the term."

Akane shrugged. "That's not that bad. I got mono when I was a little kid, and I had to make up an entire semester. You'll figure it out."

He frowned as he set down his bento in front of him and pulled the top off. "I'm not sure. I haven't done math in ages, so..."

A piece of sushi tore in half between Akane's chopsticks. "Have I mentioned that I'm going to destroy your father when we get home?"

Ranma shrugged. "Nah, Pops is like a punching bag. Believe me, I would've done him in ages ago if he wasn't."

Yuka, who had been giving the two of them adoring eyes the entire exchange, cooed, "Oh, this is absolutely amazing! Akane, he's perfect! He does martial arts, and he's good at sports, and he's not a complete asshole! When do I get to be maid of honor?"

"We're not getting married!" Ranma whisper-shouted, fighting down the slight blush that was rising to his cheeks.

Akane just scoffed and turned away. "Believe me, this Baka is definitely an asshole. Last night, he was so full of it. He's just shockingly good at hiding it today."

"I told you, it was because of the coma!" _Although... Why do I feel so different today? Yesterday felt completely normal! What's different now?_

"See, you're bickering like a married couple already!" Yuki said, before shrinking back from the two murder glares she found herself under.

"Ranma?" Sayuri asked quietly. "How did you end up here in the first place? Why were you in a coma?"

Ranma grinned at her. _She's nice, I like her. I can see why Akane does too._ "It's a long story. You see, we were in China..."

After that, the rest of the day seemed to pass by in a blur. Lunch ended too soon, and by the end, it felt like he and Akane were on at least decent terms again. In Science, History, and Japanese, he received massive piles of work to add on to his already massive load. By the end of the day, he had so much that he wasn't quite sure how he was going to handle it all. At the end of the day, he shoveled it into his backpack and walked out of school with Akane.

"I'm going to try to walk the fence again. Can you hold my bag?"

"Um, okay? That seems kinda stupid, if you ask me," Akane said as she accepted his bag from him.

Ranma shrugged as he nonchalantly hopped onto the fence. "Don't worry about it. I'll be fine."

For a block, he was. Then he fell into the river.

It seemed to happen in slow motion. Akane's eyes widened, and she called, "Ranma, watch out!" He made a desperate grab for the fence, but missed and tumbled into the current.

The change was different, this time. She could feel her body changing, and as it did, she could feel the painful weight that had dragged her down all day lift. A golden glowing feeling seemed to fill her body, and as she burst out of the water, she found that she was crying tears of joy.

 _She felt good._

 _She felt right._

 _She felt the most liberated that she had in her entire life. Her entire sense of being, everything about her, felt as if it had been rectified the moment she had touched the water. It was incredible._

"Ranma! Are you alright? You're crying!" Akane's face had a look of pure horror and worry written across it.

And then Ranma realized that she was a he, and she was not alright, and she could never feel that way again.

And he buried the golden glow, buried it deep inside of himself, and vowed to himself that he would _never_ let himself feel that way again.

He was Ranma, man among men. Who was he to change that?

 **[A/N] Number one thing that should be obvious right now? Female Ranma is much, much less outright abrasive and obnoxious towards people. This will become very interesting.**

 **Number one thing that isn't obvious? Female Ranma.**

 **If you're wondering why he isn't suddenly acting like Kasumi, it's in large part because h** **e hasn't really realized it yet. He's starting to grasp a feeling here, but he has no context for it, no name for it, a stigma against being feminine, and has just started actively repressing because Ranma's gender identity is fluid doesn't mean that his personality will drastically change. Yet. All changes here are coming more from his confusion and anxiety than actual differences. I mean, he's just as aggressive as ever (the soccer game)**

 **Thank you guys so much for reading. This is Allie, signing out.**

 **[Edit 2/11/18] Grammar, somehow I thought "the bluehead" was a good way to describe Akane, removed some preachy A/N content nobody really needs.**


	4. The Adhesion Imperative

Chapter Four – The Adhesion Imperative

 **Nabiki**

The moonlight was soft that night.

Nabiki sighed as she stared thoughtfully out her window. The last two days had been more intriguing than any other time in her life that she could remember. Ranma Saotome was flipping their lives upside down, and all of her preparation from the past month seemed useless.

Akane had been _friendly_ with him, of all things! He was a boy, too. This was the same boy she had been absolutely ranting about just two days ago. How the hell did he do it?

"Nabiki?"

She turned to see Kasumi standing in the doorway in her long white nightgown. "What is it, sis?"

The older girl sighed as she stepped into Nabiki's frugally decorated room, settling onto her bed. "Is that what I think it is?"

Nabiki glanced down at the bill, pinned to her desk under her arm. "Yeah, it's not good."

"How bad?"

She closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair. "Ranma was on life support for twenty-six days, and since his pig-headed father refused to let us take him to the hospital, we rented it all out. Add the extra food and all of Tofu's visits on top of that, and we're over. Way over."

Kasumi gulped. "Tell me."

"500,000 yen. We had 250,000 at the start of the month."

Her jaw dropped. "But that's double… Did Daddy-"

"He won't do jack," Nabiki said angrily. "Neither will the lazy excuse for a father Ranma has. If anything, they're just making it all worse."

"We can't ask Akane or Ranma about it, either. It's just not fair to them." Kasumi crossed her legs, knuckles white as she clasped her hands together in her lap. "There's nothing we can do, is there?"

Nabiki watched her sister for a moment, then paled as she saw the determined spark in her eyes. "No. You can't. I won't let you."

Kasumi shook her head as she got to her feet. "I can, and I will. This is my family, and I won't let us lose the dojo if we run out of money."

"No! I said no! You've already taken two gap years from college, and I've seen you sneaking out with Tofu after he comes over. That's your money, for your life! Don't waste it on us!"

The older girl shook her head sadly. "No. This is my house. I'm responsible for everyone here. College is… College can wait for me. Look at you! After you graduate, you already have three economics scholarships lined up! What field would I even go into? Cooking? Tofu… Tofu will understand. He's always understood."

Nabiki desperately cast around for ideas as her sister wiped a tear off her cheek. "Will you make a deal with me?"

"What?"

Slowly, the inklings of an idea began to form. "This bill isn't due for another week. If I can get the money in that much time, will you promise to me that you'll start applying to colleges again?"

Kasumi watched her sadly for a moment. "I- Nabiki, please don't do anything you'll regret."

Nabiki turned away, formulating her plan in her mind. "I never do, sis."

 _I don't care what I have to do. There's no way she's going to keep ruining her life for the rest of us._

 **Ranma**

"You've gotten soft, boy!"

Ranma lazily blinked his eyes open just as he was booted out of his bedroom window and into the backyard. Gracefully, he caught his fall with both hands and did a back flip to see Genma staring down at him. "You want to spar? You're on!"

Genma tensed, then launched himself out towards Ranma with explosive force. Rolling his eyes, Ranma sidestepped his father and gave him a light push in the direction of the koi pond. Quickly, he jumped onto the roof of the house before the splash of water could reach him.

He wasn't going to lose today. Hell, he felt absolutely amazing. The haze of his coma was virtually gone, and whatever had happened yesterday… No, he wasn't even going to let himself think about that.

Fifteen minutes of sparring later, Akane walked out of the house and yelled, "Ranma, stop fighting on the roof and come eat breakfast!"

Ranma turned to look down at his new friend. "We're coming!"

Genma gave an indiscriminate growl as he sent a roundhouse kick straight into the small of Ranma's back, sending him flying into the koi pond.

Two days later, the change still felt as strange as ever. Ranma growled as he flipped his red pigtail out of his face and dragged himself out of the cold water. D _ammit! This is the last thing that I wanted to happen today._ "Hey, Kasumi? Are you boiling tea or anything?"

Kasumi looked up, and her eyes widened as she covered her mouth. "Oh my! Ranma, honey, your… your… your chest."

Soun and Genma were both white as a sheet, Akane was beet red as she looked away, and Nabiki was leaning back in her chair, staring at Ranma prospectively. He looked down to see that his nice Chinese silk shirt had been practically torn in half. "Oh, that's a shame. I really liked that shirt. Do you have hot water or not?"

"Ranma-" Akane desperately squeaked out, squeezing her eyes shut.

"What?"

She took a deep breath, and yelled, "You idiot, do you not have any sense of feminine modesty?"

Ranma laughed at her expression, pulling his shirt back over his exposed breasts. "Jeez, Akane, you look like somebody just died. What's the big deal? It's just a curse, after all. It's not even my body. I'm a man, I don't need any of that dumb feminine stuff."

Hot water poured onto his head, and he looked around to see Nabiki standing behind him. She gave him a sly smile. "If I didn't know better, I would think my little sister saw a little more than she could handle."

"What!?"

Ranma shook his head as he sat down for breakfast. "I suppose I'll have to borrow a shirt from somebody. That was my only one."

Soun blinked. "You only own one shirt?"

Everyone turned to look at Genma, who was holding up a sign. ::A little hot water for a poor little panda?::

Kasumi picked up the tea kettle, walked over to the sink, and poured out the contents into the drain. "Oh, how unfortunate. We seem to be out of tea."

Genma blinked, then lumbered out of the room, presumably in search of bamboo for breakfast.

"Say, Akane," Nabiki said. "Kasumi only has dresses, and I'm way too small for Ranma. Why don't you give him some of your T-shirts?"

"W-w-what?"

"No way! That wouldn't be very manly!"

Nabiki grinned. "Actually, all of her T-shirts come from the men's section. Besides, pink was the manliest color a hundred years ago."

Ranma frowned then shrugged. "Sure, why not. Whad'ya say, tomboy?"

Akane glared at him. "What did you call me, pervert?"

Ranma winced. _How is th_ _is_ _perverted? I'm not a girl, why the hell should I care?_ "Look, please? Besides, I don't care but I'm pretty sure public nudity is illegal..."

She flushed even deeper, then looked away. "Fine."

 **Akane**

Akane groaned as she leaned back on her bed and looked up at the ceiling. "Ranma, are you done yet?"

"Done? I've never even seen this many clothes in my entire life. I could be in here all day!"

She frowned and walked over to the half-closed door to see Ranma holding five different shirts. "Seriously? I get dressed in five seconds every day."

"That explains that."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Ranma grinned at her. "Are you kidding me? You dress like you just spent fifty minutes fighting with your mom before getting forced into a dress every day! If I had this many clothes I- Akane?"

 _Mom…_ A familiar sadness bubbled up in her throat, and she turned away from Ranma. Her hands clenched, gathering the soft sheets below her in her fists.

"Akane, you're scaring me. What's wrong?"

Opening her eyes, she gave him a sad little smile. "My mom passed away years ago… We did used to have fights, just like you were talking about. I just..."

Unable to stop herself, tears formed in the corners of her eyes and she started to softly cry. Ranma watched her as she sat down on her bed and buried her face in her hands. "Akane, you're acting all like a girly girl now and it's weirding me out."

Despite herself, Akane shook her head and laughed breathlessly. "Kami-sama, you're such an asshole." _Why can't I hate him, Mom? He was… better yesterday. What am I supposed to do?_

A muscular arm draped itself over her shoulder, squeezing her a bit too hard. Surprised, she twisted to see him sitting next to her frowning slightly. "Is that better?"

"Ranma, you're hurting me!" As he hastily let go, she became extremely aware of how he was still shirtless, and also much closer than she liked. "I'm fine, really. Are you finished going through my closet yet?"

Ranma frowned as he looked over the shirts he had pulled out from her closet, and picked up a navy blue one she had gotten free from a summer camp years ago. "This one's fine. I did mean what I said though. You should wear some of these sometime."

A flicker of anger returned to her chest, this time directed at Genma. "You were serious about only having one shirt."

"Pops always said one was fine. Besides, the old furball couldn't pay for another one if he wanted. I'm not even sure how he got the nice silk one I had."

"He stole it," Akane said flatly.

Ranma frowned. "It's too late to do anything about it now anyway. There's no way we could put back together now. Does this look manly enough?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "What is it with you and being manly today? It's not like it was a problem yesterday. You never even mentioned it once, and today it's the only thing coming out of your mouth."

Ranma's expression shifted in a second, becoming conflicted. The change wasn't lost on her before he settled into a small frown. "Yesterday was weird. I'm back to normal now. This is normal."

"Oh." That was a shame. She really had started to like the Ranma that had been around yesterday. He was… He was going to be her friend, and neither her temper or their engagement was going to get in the way of that. Then, a thought crossed her mind. "Does that mean you don't want to eat with us at lunch again? It wouldn't be very manly to eat with a bunch of girls."

He looked at her funnily. "Why would I not want to eat with you? You're my friend."

Akane smiled happily at him. "Thanks, that… that actually means a lot."

He smiled back. "Y'know, I meant to tell you this yesterday, but you have a really nice smile. You should use it more often. C'mon, let's go to school."

Akane stayed glued to her bed as he left the room before finally tearing herself away to follow him. For some odd reason, she couldn't get the light rosy tinge away from her cheeks.

 **Ranma**

"This again?"

Akane glared at the slobbering group of boys in front of her. "I told you, every morning."

Ranma growled softly. "These losers need a lesson taught to them." Angrily, he strode forwards and yelled, "Hey perverts!"

The silence was deafening as Akane narrowed her eyes at him. "I said I can fight my own battles, Ranma."

Pointedly, he ignored her. "You want to have half a chance with Akane? You better beat me first!"

"Ranma!"

The entire Hentai horde converged on Ranma at the same time, and he disappeared into a flurry of blows and collisions. Fifteen seconds later, all of the other boys were on a heap around him. Kuno, wearing a furious expression, strode forwards and started to give a speech. Before he got far, Ranma sprinted forwards, kneed him in the gut, and punted him as far away from Furikan as he possibly could.

Turning back to Akane, he grinned. "See? Problem solved."

Slap!

Ranma's head snapped to the side as a sharp pain spread through his cheek. "Hey! I was helping, what was that for?"

As soon as he looked back up, he saw that Akane was shaking with barely contained fury. "Ranma. Saotome. How many times do I have to get it through your idiotic brain, I do not need you or your fragile masculinity to solve my problems for me! You had no problem holding my bags for me yesterday, so do that more if you really want to be helpful."

As she stalked towards the entrance, he followed behind her. "Wait, but I sent Kuno-"

Akane spun back around in exasperation. "Honestly. That lunatic is delusional, what makes you think that this will change anything? The only difference now is that he's going to be after both of us. What does that accomplish?"

"But- I was just tryin' to help out."

She gave him an icy glare. "Well, you didn't. Happy?"

"I-"

Before he could say anything, Akane had already swept past him and into the school building, leaving him standing alone in the dusty courtyard.

 _Fine! Be like that, see if I care._

 **Later**

Ranma cocked his head to the side as Yuka stared at him with an adoring expression. "Um… Yuka, you're scaring me. What?"

She squeezed her eyes shut and squealed. "I just… This is so perfect! You and Akane… Akane and you… You're- It's- I mean- Eek!"

Ranma scratched the back of his neck nervously and glanced at Akane, who made a point of looking away when he did. Sighing, he grabbed another roll of sushi out of his bento. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Yuka looked left then right, then leaned in towards Ranma conspiratorially. "You're wearing Akane's shirt," she whispered, then collapsed into a fit of giggles.

"Huh?"

"Oh, don't play innocent with me," she said with a grin. "Spill! How was it? Akane wouldn't tell me in a million years, so you have to!"

Ranma shook his head as he leaned back. "I'm lost."

Yuka continued on without seeming to hear him. "You know, I would've taken you for the more traditional type, but maybe I was wrong."

He desperately looked around for a lifeline, and his eyes landed on Sayuri. "What is she going on about?"

Sayuri giggled. "Isn't it obvious? You're staying at her house and wearing her shirt. How is she, well, you know?"

Ranma vigorously shook his head. "No. I don't know. I don't have a clue what you're talking about."

Akane, who was bright red, sighed. "Sex, Ranma. They think we're having sex."

Sex?

Now it was Ranma's turn to turn bright red.

Yuka waggled her eyebrows at them. "Well, are you?"

"NO!" they yelled in unison, flinching as every face in the lunchroom turned towards them.

She shook her head. "Wow, you two were made for each other. Look, you're even blushing the same way! Honestly, I wish my dad would engage me to someone like Ranma..."

"W-w-we are not!" Ranma stammered out, while Akane suddenly found her food incredibly interesting. "We're just friends!"

"With benefits?"

"Ranma Saotome, how dare you lay your demonic hands on fair Akane?"

Ranma and Akane slowly turned around to see Kuno standing behind them. His clothes were ripped and torn, and his hair was covered in leaves. Akane frowned and said, "Hold on. How on earth were you able to make it back here so quickly?"

He puffed out his chest. "I am Tatewaki Kuno, Blue Thunder of Furinkan High! My love and endless devotion to Akane Tendo knows no bounds!"

"Neither does your delusion," she muttered back.

"Well," Ranma said as he got to his feet and walked towards the window. "That was nice, so I'll be leaving now." Unlatching the screen, he clambered onto the sill and looked back at Kuno.

"Saotome, come back! I shall chase you until you have paid for your crimes."

Akane rolled her eyes, then groaned as she remembered something. "Ranma, wait! Don't jump! Below, there's a-"

Ranma jumped out of the window, and Kuno jumped out after him.

"-swimming pool…"

 **Sayuri**

Sayuri sighed as Akane took off down the hallway. "Aren't they so cute together?"

"Um, Sayuri?" Yuka said.

"What?"

"Come and look at this."

She got up from her seat and walked to the window. Standing up, she frowned as she saw a red-haired girl get out of the swimming pool, leaving Kuno floating facedown in her wake. "Who's she?"

Yuka frowned. "I think that Ranma isn't telling us something, and I want to figure it out."

 **Akane**

"Ranma? Where are you?"

"Here!" Akane screamed as Ranma swung down by his knees from a tree right above her, staggering backward. "Is Kuno gone?"

"You scared me, idiot! Yes, he's still knocked out in the pool where you left him." She took a deep breath to collect herself. "Look, I couldn't find any hot water in the school so we're going to have to go somewhere else. I have an idea. Follow me?"

Ranma nodded, and he did a backflip out of the tree. "Where are we going?"

"We have a pediatrician who lives nearby the dojo. He's also a martial artist, so he'll probably be fine with… all of this."

Akane sighed as she led Ranma through Nerima. _Is this just the way things are going to be now?_ It wasn't that her life hadn't been chaotic before he had shown up, but it had been predictable, at least. No curses, no engagement, no… well, no Ranma. _Is that a good thing or a bad thing?_

"Um, Akane, you said we were going to a pediatrician, right?"

"Yeah."

She turned around to see Ranma pointing at a red cross sign next to him. "Well, isn't this it?"

Akane flushed as she realized she had almost walked right past their destination. "Yeah."

She pushed the door open, then grinned as a young man with glasses stood up from his desk. "Akane! What a pleasant surprise. Who is the young lady that you've brought with you?"

Ranma laughed, and she shook her head. "Yeah, about that… Dr. Tofu, do you have any hot water right now?"

Five minutes later, Tofu sighed as he set the tea kettle down on the stove. "Jusenkyo?"

Ranma nodded. "Blame my father, he's an idiot. You know about it?"

"I am a martial artist as well as a doctor, and it is well known as one of the most dangerous training grounds of all. Unfortunately, very few people actually know the reason why."

"Is there a cure?" Ramma had a hopeful glance that disappeared almost immediately.

"No."

"Oh."

"Hey, Doctor? How's Kasumi?" Akane asked, trying to change the subject.

Ranma frowned. "Kasumi? Why Kasumi?"

Tofu smiled happily at him. "Simple. She's my fiancee. Didn't anybody tell you that?"

They both turned to stare at Akane, who blushed. "I, uh, forgot?"

"That's great, Doctor," Ranma said with a grin. "Kasumi didn't say a thing about it. When's the wedding?"

"We don't have a date yet, but we're working on it." He smiled sheepishly as he scratched the back of his neck. "It's, well, it's a bit complicated. My family all lives in Osaka, so it takes time to work out all of the details. Shouldn't you two be in school right now?"

Akane's eyes widened, and she glanced over at the clock. _2:30? I haven't skipped class in, uh, in- ever?_ "You're right! Ranma, we need to go now, or else we'll miss the rest of the school day!"

"Huh?" She grabbed his hand and pulled him out of Tofu's kitchen against his protests. When they reached the door, he pulled his hand loose. "You know I can walk, right?"

"Ranma."

He looked back to see Tofu leaning against the Kitchen doorframe. "Yeah?"

Tofu frowned. "If you ever want someone to talk to about your curse, my door is always open, okay?"

"Thanks doc, I'll keep that in mind!" he yelled with a grin as Akane dragged him out the door and back towards the halls of Furinkan High.

Looking back, she could see him standing in the window, shaking his head as he watched them go.

 **[Edit 2/11/18] Grammar**


	5. Small Things

Chapter Five: Little Things

 **Ranma**

"Wake up, boy!"

Ranma blinked as Genma picked him up and chucked him through the window.

He came up with a vague idea of what was happening as he sailed through the air.

It wasn't until he fell into the koi pond that he realized just what had happened the day before.

"I did what?!" she screamed, before proceeding to beat her father into the ground.

The entire family had seen her- seen her- Even Soun and Pops- Even Akane- Wait, where had that come from?

Once the panda was floating face down in the koi pond, Ranma stormed into the house and went into the furo to shower. She wasn't about to walk around all day dripping with pond water, after all.

 **Akane**

"Ranma?" Akane knocked, then scowled. "Ranma, what the hell are you doing in there? You've been in there for twenty minutes!"

The furo door slid backward, and Akane blinked.

Ranma was in his girl form – weird. Weirder – had he combed his hair? Was he already dressed? That wasn't one of the shirt he had picked out yesterday, and hadn't he said he didn't want anything with a girly pattern? And who said he could fill out her shirts better than her?

"Chill out, I've finished anyways," he said as he pushed past her towards the kitchen. At a loss for words, Akane followed behind him.

"Good morning everyone!" Ranma said happily as he sat down at the table to eat his lukewarm breakfast.

Kasumi cheerfully said, "Good morning Ranma." Everyone else was silent.

Akane stared at the boy who looked like anything other than a boy, and she realized Nabiki and her father were also staring. Nabiki shot her a questioning look, and she shrugged.

"Boy, what are you wearing?" Genma finally spluttered.

Ranma rolled his eyes at his father. "Geez, pops, do you ever pay any attention? Or did you spend a bit too much time staring at my boobs yesterday to remember I borrowed some of Akane's shirts?"

Genma gaped at him. "You- I- Huh?"

There was a red tint to Ranma's expression as he glared at his father. Akane couldn't quite place it – was it anger?

"Um, Ranma?"

"Yeah," he said, looking up at her innocently.

Akane frowned. "You, um, do realize that you're still a girl, right?"

Ranma stared at her, then back down at himself, then back at her. His expression was unreadable. "Oh."

Silence.

"Right. Um, Kasumi, do you have any tea ready?"

As Ranma changed out of his cursed form, Akane shot each of her sisters a look. It was obvious that they were all thinking the same thing: what was wrong with Ranma?

 **Ranma**

"Okay, so this weekend we're totally going to go shopping right?"

Ranma felt vaguely uncomfortable as Yuka fixed hard glares on Akane and Sayuri. Quietly eating his bento, he wondered why she was only looking at them and not him. Granted, he had only been around their little group for two days, but still…

He didn't really want to go shopping, did he? Pops had always called shopping girly work and said real men got their clothes out of the sealed cardboard boxes in the back room. Ranma had always wondered why so many shopkeepers chased them for taking clothes out of the trash.

He did need new shirts, though.

"Do we have to?" Akane groaned, leaning back to stare at the sky above them.

"Oh, come on, don't be such a tomboy!" Yuka exclaimed, ignore Akane's venomous glare. "You know it'll be fun."

"I'll go," Sayuri said.

"See, it's two versus one! Now you have to go."

"But I don't wanna!"

Yuka gave Akane her best pleading face. "Please?"

"Fine."

Ranma sighed as he poked his lunch around in circles. Why did he feel so strange today? He knew it wasn't like him, it didn't make any sense. Hell, he had spaced out and almost walked into the girl's locker room. He was honestly lucky Akane had caught him on her way out and slugged him into the hallway wall.

"Hey, Ranma, wanna come with us?" Sayuri asked quietly.

Ranma's eyes lit up, and he sat up a bit straighter. "Actually, I'd-"

"Really?" Akane scoffed. "First you drag me into this, don't go and drag poor Ranma into this too."

"Akane, I don't need you to talk for me," he said sharply before turning to Sayuri. Did he actually want to go with them? "I- um, I'd like that, I think."

Yuka squealed, and Sayuri smiled happily. Akane just looked dumbstruck. "But- huh? Why? You know they're just going to drag us to a bunch of awful clothing stores, right? What would you even shop for in a woman's clothing store?"

Ranma couldn't come up with anything to say, so he just stared down at his shoes. Why did he even want to go? He shouldn't want to go, it didn't make any sense, but he still wanted to.

"Akane, lay off him already," Yuka said. "Seriously, it seems like he's more of a girl that you are sometimes. Maybe we just want to get to know him better?"

It was the wrong thing to say. Ranma blushed furiously and stared at the ground, while Akane exploded. "Okay, why don't you hang out with your _female_ friend Ranma, because obviously, you don't need some stupid _tomboy_ hanging around, huh?"

Ranma moved to go after Akane as she stormed off, but Sayuri grabbed the back of his shirt. "It's not worth it. Yuka, you know better than to rile her up like that."

To her credit, Yuka looked ashamed as she took a bit out of her lunch. "I know, but it's true, isn't it?"

All of a sudden, Ranma could only think about falling into the river.

"No, I don't know what you're talking about. I'm a man among men!" he exclaimed, voice wavering slightly. Why was that hard to say? What was going on?

Yuka and Sayuri burst out laughing, before fading into silence as Ranma stared at them in confusion. Sayuri frowned as she said, "Oh, you didn't mean that ironically, did you?"

That day, Ranma left school more confused than he had ever been in his life. He felt weird. Everyone else was treating him weird. Something was wrong, and he was going to figure it out what.

 **Nabiki**

"Hello there, Kuno-baby."

Kuno jumped in his seat as Nabiki sidled up next to him. "Oh, Tendo, what do you want?"

"You asked for pictures?" she said slyly, and Kuno's eyes lit up as she slid a small envelope across the table. Greedily, he flipped through them. Nabiki felt sick as he made a less than pleasant noise at them, but she pushed it down. _That's my sister you're staring at, pervert!_

"How much?"

"25,000 yen."

"What?" The dreamy look in Kuno's eyes disappeared for a moment, and he snapped back to reality. "Tendo, you've got to be kidding me. Last time it was a fifth of the cost."

She raised an eyebrow at him and leaned forwards towards him. "Times change, honey," she said as she eased the photos out of his grip. Do you want them or not?"

Nabiki was the master of manipulating Kuno. She had the poor boy, along with his addled sense of reality and excessive money, wrapped around her finger for as long as she could remember. She wasn't about to start failing now, not when she actually need him to work for her.

He wavered for a second, then the greedy look came back to his eyes and he dug a wad of money out of his pocket and gave it to her. "Fine, but next time something needs to be different."

She wanted to slap the lustful expression off his face and grind it into the wooden desk she was sitting on. She would do it too, if she could. "What?"

"As much as I love to see my lovely Akane in her fiercest moments, such a gratuitous sum needs something more… tender," Kuno said as he leered at the photos in front of him.

Nabiki opened her mouth to retort, then caught herself.

If she sold Kuno 25,000 yen's worth of photos every day until the bill was due, they would be able to pay the medical bills and still make rent. She couldn't – no, she wouldn't Kasumi sacrifice her education, her future, her secret engagement, for some freeloader's stupidity.

Even if that came at Akane's expense.

How was she supposed to make this choice?

"Fine, whatever," she said as she got up and walked away from him. Gathering her stuff, she hurried out of the classroom before an idea stopped her short.

 _What about Ranma?_ _He has a girl form, and he doesn't seem to care… Mostly…_

She thought about it as she walked to the small cafe she worked at. Pushing the door open, a small bell dinged as her boss looked up from where she was mopping the floor. "Oh, Tendo, what are you doing here? It's twelve in the morning, shouldn't you be at school?"

Nabiki smiled tartly as she willed away the sick feeling in her gut. "No school today. Is there any chance I can work a double shift?"

She made up her mind as she took the mop and began prepping for the afternoon rush. _If the freeloaders won't work, then there's no reason why they can't help out in other ways._

Settling in, she readied herself for a long afternoon and night of work.

 **Akane**

Akane yelled as her foot slammed into the punching bag for what seemed like the millionth time in a row. The bag sailed backward with a satisfying noise and she stepped back and took a deep breath as she stared down at her feet.

 _I really am a tomboy, aren't I?_

"Um, Akane, are you okay?"

Jumping, she spun around to glare at Ranma, who flinched back at the edge of the doorway. "What do you want?"

He walked into the dojo cautiously, almost like he was afraid she would attack her. "Look, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. I- I can go eat lunch with Hiroshi and Daisuke if you don't like hav-"

"It's fine, Ranma."

"Huh?"

She shrugged at him. He was so different than a month of her thoughts and Genma's stories had made her believe, and if she was being honest with herself, she really liked it. "It's not your fault that Sayuri and Yuka love shopping. I'm angry at them, not you. I can't imagine why you would want to go with them, but I'm not angry at you for it."

"Oh." Akane sat down as her feet started to ache, and Ranma sat next to her. "I wanted to go after you, but they said that you needed time to cool down before you would listen to anyone."

Akane frowned. Her friends weren't wrong, but… "You know, I might have listened to you if you had come after me."

Ranma started, and he looked surprised. "Really? Why?"

 _Because I want him to be there for me._

Where had that come from?

"Because, well, you- You're my friend, right? You should at least be making an effort to comfort me!" she exclaimed before turning away with burning cheeks.

"I didn't realize you would want me to," Ranma said softly.

Akane rolled her eyes. "Of course I do, idiot, that's what friends are for."

"It's been a while since I had a real friend."

She turned to look at him, but he was staring out the window at the sky outside. "What do you mean?"

"Well, pops and I moved around all the time before, so we never stayed in one place for very long. When I was little, I had a friend named Ukyo, but I don't remember what happened to him, and there was one guy when I was in middle school named Ryoga, but I was always more of a rival than a friend to him… I guess it's just never something I've really thought about much, dunno why."

Akane frowned thoughtfully. "Well, you have me and Yuka and Sayuri now, so you don't need to worry about that anymore. I think I would be really unhappy if I didn't have at least them to stick by me."

They were quiet for a while, listening to the quiet burble of the koi pond outside of the dojo.

"Wanna spar?" Ranma's voice was thick with hesitation, for reasons she couldn't quite see.

"Yeah," Akane said with a nod, "Let's do that."

 **[A/N] Sorry for taking a bit to update, I got very into my RWBY fic. The Nabiki scene was pretty hard to write, so I've had most of this chapter sitting on my computer for a while. That being said, I need to shake this story up a bit to keep my interest so Ryoga is 100% coming next chapter.**

 **Thank you to James Birdsong, Putrid, Tatewaki2000, Nashmeira, and TooManyPockets for your reviews. Special shoutout goes to Katt1848 for giving me the push to finally get this chapter out there. All of you, as well as everyone who's favorited and followed, are amazing.**

 **Any and all concrit is very appreciated, and thank you to every who stuck with this story.**

 **Signing out, Allie**

 **[Edit 2/11/18] Grammar**


	6. Enter Ryoga!

Chapter Six: Enter Ryoga!

 **Akane**

"'Kane?

Akane narrowed her eyes as she doubled the speed of her attacks. Two punches, a dodge to the right before a roundhouse kick to send the punching bag swinging around in circles. "What do you want Ranma?"

"Well, I guess I wanna apologize."

Panting, she turned around to look at Ranma. He was wearing one of the original shirts they had picked out for him today, and he leaned awkwardly against the dojo door with his arms crossed. "Why? It's not like anything changes when you do. There was no reason for you to ignore me in gym class and blow us off at lunch like that. I mean, what was that even supposed to accomplish?"

"I- I don't know." Pushing off of the wall, he walked into the dojo and settled down on the mat. "I guess… I was just thinking back to how everything's happened since I woke up, and it just feels really weird, even for me."

"What do you mean?" she asked. _Yes, yes he has been acting really weird, but… why?_

Right on cue, Ranma started to echo her thoughts. "Ya know, it's like… All my life Pops told me I had to be a man among men, so I was. But ever since I got here, it almost feels like I... don't wanna do that anymore. Is that weird? Like, I should hate it, dressing all girly like this, and some days I do, but- sometimes-"

Akane fidgeted with the hem of her dress as "Like yesterday when you got all mad at Genma for ripping your shirt the day before?"

"Yeah, it's just..." Ranma sighed as he looked up at the wooden bears arcing across the dojo ceiling. "Somedays, the curse doesn't really feel like a curse at all," he murmured. "Today it does, but yesterday, I almost wanted to go to school like that. I don't get it. I've wanted nothing to be a man among men all my life, but now… Is this just part of the curse? Is being okay with it a part of the curse?"

Akane scooted toward him and hugged him tentatively. He just looked so distant, almost like a lost puppy. "Ranma, you know that it's okay if you're not super masculine. Nobody's going to blame you. I mean, you're my friend, even if it's a bit rough sometimes, and Kasumi is really sweet, and Nabiki… well, she had our best hopes at heart, I think."

"It's not very manly to get hugs," Ranma mumbled as he hugged her back.

"That's just a lie."

"Well, it's embarrassing!"

"That doesn't mean it's not manly!"

"Ranma, Akane, time for dinner!" Kasumi called.

"Coming!" they chorused back.

Ranma got to his feet, then pulled her up. "Thank you," he said, looking around to avoid her eyes. "It's nice, having a friend to talk to about stuff."

"I'm glad you're my friend," she responded.

"Oi, lovebirds, stop holding hands and eat your damn dinner!" Nabiki yelled as she poked her head out from behind the lit screen.

Akane and Ranma jumped and let go of the other's hands, blushing in embarrassment. There was a moment where all that could be heard was Genma and Soun's loud argument before Ranma finally said, "Come on, let's go in. We can talk later."

"Yeah," Akane whispered as she watched him stick his hands in his pockets and walk back into the house. "Later."

 **Ranma**

"Okay, so after Kaiba confessed to Yui, she told Akari that she actually likes Kauro instead. So then, after..."

"Do you think Sayuri is listening to a word she's saying?" Ranma asked Akane as they watched the two brunettes chattering away.

Akane rolled her eyes as Sayuri intently nodded. "Honestly, I think Sayuri knows more gossip than Yuka does, Yuka just likes talking about it more than she does."

"Huh. That makes a lot of sense, actually," Ranma said as he yawned and stretched. "So, um, what happens at a shopping mall?"

Akane gawked at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, Pops and I weren't in the city much, so we never really went, I guess. Besides," he said as a hint of resentment crept into his tone, "He always called shopping a girly activity, so I've never really done it."

"Oh, well Yuka loves going shopping, so we come here all the time," she grumbled, shuddering slightly at the thought. "Honestly, you've never even done it and you already like it better than I do."

He bumped into her with a soft smile. "Hey, it can't be that bad."

"We're here~!" Yuka sang happily as they finally reached the mall.

Ranma's jaw dropped as he stared up at the three-story modern building made mostly of glass. The morning sun sparkled on the reflective panes, and people walked on the glass bridges between the two walls of shops. "It's so pretty..."

"Come on, I'll show you all of the shops!" Yuka exclaimed, dragging him ahead as Sayuri and Akane followed behind. "Oh, this is going to be so much fun!"

Ranma saw more clothing than ever before in his life in the next fifteen minutes. They went on a whirlwind tour of all of the outfitters and retail outlets, before rejoining Sayuri and Akane who had gotten ice cream and were busy eating in the food court.

Akane perked up as they came back. "Oh, are you done? That's great, so we can lea-"

"Nope, we just finished the tour!" Yuka exclaimed, ignoring her devastated expression. "C'mon, help us pick Ranma's shirts out! You do know his style the best, after all."

The store that sold Chinese silk shirts was smaller than most of the others, so the four of them took up most of the space. A wide array of colors hung on the wall, and Yuka and Sayuri were busily shuffling through them and offering commentary to the other. Ranma and Akane hung back by the entrance, watching them and talking.

"Ranma, what color shirt do you want?" she asked.

"Well..."

It took Akane a second to figure out why he was hesitating. "Is this about what we were talking about last night?" He nodded, and she grabbed his hand. "Ranma, it's okay if you're not masculine. Just go and get what you want so I don't have to stand here anymore!"

He turned to look at her, smiling gratefully and squeezing her hand before letting go. "Thank you."

The other two girls jumped out of the way as Ranma walked up to the display and pulled a light pink shirt with purple trim off of the wall. He held it up to his chest and struck a pose for Akane. She rolled her eyes at him. "It'll look fine both ways, idiot. Just buy the damn thing already."

"It's a nice shirt," Sayuri offered as he set it down on the counter.

"10,000 yen," the shopkeeper said as he fiddled with his phone.

Ranma paused. He didn't have that kind of money at all, let alone on him! He was about to take the shirt and put it back when Yuka pushed him out of the way and offered her credit card to the shopkeeper. "Here you go."

"Yuka, you don't have-"

She pushed him lightly as she took her card back. "Learn to accept a gift, okay? Besides, if I didn't buy everything I would never be able to get Akane to come with me. Come on, let's try it on!"

About an hour later, at which point Akane, Sayuri, and quite honestly Ranma were all worn out by shopping, they left the shopping mall several bags of clothing heavier. Ranma was having a hard time wiping a stupid grin off of his face – he had never owned this much clothing in his entire life! _I have to come up with some way to thank Yuka for all of this…_ He had opted to wear Akane's old shirt back to the dojo, so he would have a chance to go through it all properly and put some of it away.

That was a decision he was incredibly grateful for after they left the other two girls and headed back in the direction of the dojo.

"Ranma Saotome, prepare to die!"

They spun around to see a boy in a yellow bandanna holding an umbrella over his shoulder. Akane clenched her fists as she growled, "Look, I don't know who you are but I just was dragged on a _two-hour_ shopping trip and I am not in a good mood."

"Ryoga?"

He squinted at the boy, looking him up and down as he responded, "Um, yeah? Didn't you hear me? I said prepare to die… Um, what?"

Ranma had run forwards and hugged Ryoga before slinging his arm around his shoulder. "Hey, I haven't seen you since junior high! How are you? Are you in Nerima for school too?"

Akane looked at the two of them skeptically, Ryoga's murderous expression not lost on her. "Um, Ranma, who is this?"

He grinned at her, playfully rubbing the other boy's cheek with his fist. "Remember, I was telling you about my best friend from middle school, Ryoga Hibiki? This is him!"

"Best friend? Didn't you listen to me?" Ryoga pushed him away and crossed his arms, letting his umbrella droop to the ground. "Ranma, you've put me through hell! Prepare to die!" He waited expectantly for a moment, then glared at him. "This is when you're supposed to start fighting, dammit! I've been planning this for-"

Ranma made a face and shook his head. "Nah, I don't really feel like fighting right now."

"Wha- huh?"

Ryoga wilted at Akane's murderous expression and her shaking fist as she thrust a shopping bag into his hands. "Maybe you didn't hear me. I am _not_ in a good mood, so if we don't keep walking towards home _now_ I will punch you for Ranma."

He gulped and took the bag as Ranma shot Akane a grateful expression. "Yes, ma'am."

"So, um, why exactly do you want to kill me, Ryoga?" Ranma asked as they walked along the river. "I don't get it, I haven't seen you since we left Nerima for China."

"You really don't know?"

"No. Sorry, I guess?"

Ryoga sighed slightly dejectedly as he reclipped his umbrella to his pack and walked along with his hands behind his head. "Man, this isn't how I thought this would go at all. You're supposed to fight me, not, well..." The shopping back hanging over his back dangled as he walked. "You never showed up to our duel, remember?"

Ranma stared at him for a moment. "I waited in the lot for three days! You never showed up! What are you talking about?"

"You waited for a duel for three days?" Akane exclaimed.

"Oh." Now Ryoga just looked downright depressed, and Ranma felt kind of bad for him before realizing what had probably happened.

"Wait a second, did you get lost on the way?" he asked, and Ryoga nodded.

Akane looked between them as they stopped in front of the dojo. "What do you mean, lost?"

"I have a curse where I can't tell direction, so I get lost all the time," he grumbled as Ranma pushed the gate open.

"Hey, Ryoga, wanna stay for dinner? I'm sure Kasumi won't mind cooking for one more person."

A spark of gratitude was quickly buried under anger as Ryoga turned away. "Okay, I guess so."

 **Akane**

"So then after you and Genma fought in Jusenkyo, I watched you get knocked into that spring so I helped pull you out and bring you back to Japan. I almost got unlucky and fell in the Spring of the Drowned Pig, but Genma caught me at the last second. After I came back to Nerima with you two, I went home – it took me three weeks but I got there eventually. I figured I would just fight you when you woke up, but that didn't really work out, obviously." He stopped talking to see the entire Tendo household staring at him expectantly, so he scowled and took another spoonful of miso soup. "That's it."

"So you followed me to _China_ because of that dumb duel over cafeteria bread?" Ranma asked, before bursting out laughing.

"Hey, it's not funny!"

Kasumi politely covered her mouth to hide her giggles as Nabiki rolled her eyes. "Sorry, pig boy, but it really is."

Ryoga pouted at her, resting his elbow on the table. "Hey, I didn't even fall into the spring!"

Nabiki stuck her tongue out at him, and Kasumi couldn't hold back her laughter anymore.

"Hey, Ryoga?" He looked over at Ranma, who was sitting next to Akane cross-legged. "Thank you for bringing me back here, you really didn't have to."

Ryoga stared down at the food before him. "If you had drowned, how was I supposed to have fought you?" he mumbled, before picking up his bowl and busily slurping down the rest of his meal. "Well, I guess if we're not going to fight, then..."

"Hibiki, are you going to be okay wandering around alone?" Genma growled, and Ryoga looked up at him in surprise.

"Mr. Saotome… I appreciate the meal, it's been a while since I had a good one, but I need time to think about this. Thank you, I guess. See you, Ranma," he mumbled as he got to his feet and went towards the entrance.

"Wait, if you leave you're just going to get lost, right?" Soun called right as he was about to exit the dojo.

He nodded. "Yeah, probably… Dunno, Paris and Florida are supposed to be pretty nice 'round this time of year..."

"Well, if it's okay with Kasumi, you could stay the night," he offered.

"That'd be lovely, I don't mind at all," Kasumi said as she got to her feet and started clearing the table. "Ryoga, dear, we have more extra futons, so it really wouldn't be a problem at all."

Ryoga's eyes widened, and he turned back toward the kitchen. "Really? But… I just met you guys, why would you-"

"You saved my future son-in-law's life," Soun said. "We owe you a debt of gratitude. Besides, any friend of Ranma's is welcome here."

He looked to Ranma. "Is- is that okay with you?"

"Sure, you're my friend, even if you did want to kill me. Why would I say no?"

"Oh." Lost, Ryoga sat back down at the table and looked at his empty bowl. "Um… In that case, do you think I could have seconds?"

By the time everyone had finished eating, Nabiki's eye was twitching. "I'll be excusing myself now," she said before wandering off and muttering something about money.

Akane leaned back as she, Ranma, and Ryoga made idle conversation. It had never really struck her before how much she enjoyed being around other kids her age – Yuka and Sayuri were great, but they were much better friends with each other than with her. _No, I really don't mind having Ranma around, all of the engagement stuff aside. If I'm being honest, I'm actually really glad that he's still here._

Kasumi came back into the kitchen frowning. "Guys, the third futon doesn't fit into the guest room. What do you want to do?"

Ryoga shrugged. "I can sleep out in the dojo, or something. I don't really mind, this is already nicer than anywhere I've slept in the last couple months."

"Nonsense, you're our guest. I would sleep outside before you will," Soun said with a hint of pride at the edge of his voice. "It's been a long time since the Tendo residence has been so busy, but we haven't forgotten how to treat visitors."

"Ranma could sleep in my room if that's okay with him." Akane was almost surprised that she had said it, but she had meant it. Turning to him, she asked, "Is it?"

Ranma grinned back at her. "I don't mind if you're okay with it."

Soun burst into tears of joy. "Wonderful, the schools will be joined! When shall we plan the wedd-"

"Daddy?"

"Yes, dear?"

Akane presented her dear father with her fist. "Shut up before I change my mind."

"Of course."

 **Nabiki**

 _Am I really doing this?_

The gross feeling refused to go away as Nabiki knelt by the crack in the screen to the furo. Ranma stepped out of the shower and walked over to the mirror. Her finger hesitated over the capture button – what she was doing was awful, but she would never take a nude photo of a house guest. Instead, she watched and waited for Ranma to get a towel, only he never did.

For what seemed like an eternity, she watched and waited as Ranma inspected his body in the mirror from every angle, seemingly entranced by himself. _What is he doing?_ He seemed entranced by himself; she wanted to think he was being gross about his female form but it seemed purer than that, considering that he hadn't touched himself like that once.

 _I'm such a disgusting person. How could he be the perverted one when I'm watching him in the furo?_

Finally, he wrapped the towel around his body – why had he still not changed back? She snapped a few quick pictures, then hurried back towards her room, trying hard to ignore her disgust with herself.

As she passed by, she noticed the light was on in Soun's room. She wavered at the door to her room for a moment, then set her camera down on her dresser and knocked on his door. "Come in!" the response came from within, so she slipped inside.

The room was dominated by a big canopy bed with a floral comforter. Pictures lined the walls, and a small pot of incense burned in the corner. Soun was kneeling by a picture of her mother, decorated with flowers around the edges. Sighing, she knelt down beside him and smiled faintly at the picture. "Hi, mommy..."

"What's wrong, Nabiki? You never want to come in and talk anymore," he said quietly, his eyes closed before the shrine.

She opened her mouth, then looked at the door in shame. "It's nothing."

"Kasumi told me about the money. Nabiki, don't do this alone. If you do something bad now, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

"What do you know about doing it alone? You're not even doing anything to support us!"

Nabiki took a deep breath as she pulled away from Soun, collapsing back onto the bed as she stared at the lacy canopy. _I'm sorry, mommy. I'm sorry I have to do all of this, but we can't lose the dojo, just like daddy can't let go of your bed._

"I've been thinking of taking on students again."

"What? Really?" Nabiki sat straight up to stare at Soun, who hadn't moved from his meditative pose.

"In fact, I've already started talking to old clients who have kids now." He smiled at the picture before him, brushing his fingers against the glass gently. "I started thinking about it when the Saotomes arrived – it wouldn't do to join the school but have no students to pass the traditions down to, after all. Seeing Akane and Ranma sparring reminds me of me and your mother, really." Setting the picture aside and closing the wooden shrine doors, he turned to her. "The interest is there, and the two of them and maybe even Ryoga could help me teach. We might be able to start again before the month is out."

Nabiki stared at him, dumbfounded. "But, mom-"

"Wouldn't have wanted the dojo to go untended for so long." Soun rose to his feet and sat down at Nabiki's side. "This engagement, if it had gone awry, might have been the last hope for our school. But it's going so well, Nabiki! Better than I ever could have hoped… Without her, I don't have the vitality to teach, but now they can bring that life back to us. All we can do is support them, show them how to teach and give them somewhere to do it."

Nabiki was silent for a moment, then hugged him as tears pricked the corners of her eyes. The wave of guilt building up inside of her was far too much to ignore, and she couldn't keep the sleazy feeling down inside of herself any longer. Slowly, she said, "Daddy… To pay the bills, to keep us here, to let Kasumi live her own life… I've been selling pictures. Of Akane and Ranma. The jobs I work never pay enough, so I- I'm sorry, I didn't know what to do!"

Soun stiffened, then hugged her back. "I'm sorry. That- I have failed, as a father, to support my family. The blame is on me."

"But I've been dishonorable! And we're still in debt, and we're going to be short of the bill again this month, and Kasumi said she would pay with her college fund if I didn't come up-"

"Nabiki." She stopped mid-sentence and stared up at her father. "Do not worry about Kasumi. I will talk to her, and I can explain. We've been in debt for a long time, so one more month won't kill us. You, however, should explain to Akane and Ranma. I think they deserve that much, but… your sister and her fiance are good people. I think they will understand, in time."

"But-"

He smiled at her, the familiar weariness in his eyes abated slightly. "Go to sleep, Nabiki. Things will still be the same in the morning, and we will have time to make things right."

Nabiki wiped her eyes as she got up and went to the door. "Thank you."

"Good night."

Her own room was dark as she slipped inside. Grabbing the camera, she yanked the developed photos of Ranma out and went to her sock drawer. Pulling out a manila envelope, she slid them inside and exited her room. Grabbing the lighter from the kitchen, she walked outside to the old wood burning fireplace in the dojo. Throwing the envelope onto the bricks, she lit it on fire. As the pictures burned, it felt as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

The dojo was going to have students again. She wasn't going to have to be the sole provider for their family anymore.

 _Thank you, daddy. Thank you, Ranma._

 _Everything is changing because of you, and it's all for the better._

 **[A/N] Things are changing for the better in the Tendo household, all of it because of one Ranma Saotome. The thing about real world drama is that so much of it can be solved by simple communication, and since Ranma can keep a level head on his girl days, he doesn't immediately go off on Ryoga. Also, Nabiki's conscience get the better of her and Soun's plan actually works rather than the romantic mess that happened in the anime.**

 **Thank you so much to Jambi, James Birdsong, Iffert's Flame, and HiroshiCoyote for reviewing, along with everyone who favorited and followed!**

 **I would really appreciate any constructive criticism or other thoughts you guys had on the chapter – your feedback really helps me keep working and updating even though this fic isn't on a regular schedule. All of you are amazing, and thank you for reading!**

 **Signing out, Allie**

 **[Edit 2/11/18] Grammar**


	7. Blessed With a Curse

Chapter Seven: Blessed With a Curse

 **Ranma**

"There!" Ranma groaned as he collapsed onto his futon, pulled out of Genma's room and into Akane's. _Why did nobody tell me shopping would be so exhausting? That, and running into Ryoga… What a weird day._

Crossing his arms behind his head, he sighed as he stared at the ceiling. He almost hadn't changed back into a boy in the furo – it was just so much more comfortable to sleep on a futon when he actually fit. Nothing against the Tendos, but the futon he was using was clearly supposed to be for a kid. He had slept on far worse, but he wasn't one to turn down other people's generosity.

 _Damn it, I'm doing it again!_

Mentally, he slapped himself – what was wrong with him? All day, at the shopping mall, when they met Ryoga, there had been a little voice at the back of his head. Wouldn't the shopping be so much better as a girl? Wouldn't confronting Ryoga have been easier as a girl? Wouldn't talking to Akane go much smoother as a girl?

Ranma hated it. It was just another part of the curse, and he wouldn't let the magic win. He was stronger than that; he was the strongest martial artist of his generation! He was a man among men, and he would fight it tooth and nail until he found a cure. He would ignore the longing, the emptiness. It was all just a part of the curse.

 _Is it really a curse? What if I just want to be a girl, now that I can? What if it's a gift?_

 _Shut up! Don't think like that!_

Ranma wanted to jump off of the futon and run out to the dojo, but for some reason, he couldn't picture himself actually doing it unless he was in his girl form.

The chipped white paint on his fiancee's ceiling seemed bleaker and bleaker the longer he watched it. _What the hell is wrong with me?_

The door opened as Akane slipped into the room. Her hair hung loosely over her pajamas, freshly blow-dried. Setting her bow on the vanity and throwing her clothes into the laundry, she flopped onto her bed. "Never going shopping again," she mumbled to her stuffed animals.

"I kind of enjoyed it, actually."

"Oh, shut up!" A pink teddy bear hit Ranma in the face. He laughed, pulling it off and wrapping his arms around it.

"Y'know, I've never really done this before."

"Whad'ya mean?" Akane asked as she buried herself in her sheets.

Waving his hand, Ranma said, "Any of this, really. Guys in middle school used to talk about having sleepovers and stuff to play video games and pull all-nighters, but I never really was invited. Guess I'm just saying I'm glad you let me sleep in here, 'stead of the dojo."

"Course I let you sleep in here, you're my friend. Only downside is Nabs will make fun of us and Dad'll probably cry about joining the schools or something, but I don't care about them." Akane poked the chin off the edge of the mattress. "Plus, you're pretty much the only guy my age I've met who hasn't been a complete pervert, so I don't mind."

She turned the light out, and the quiet buzz of cicadas was all Ranma could hear. "Hey, Akane?"

"Yeah?"

"Yesterday, when I was being a jerk… I'm sorry, again. I was thinking about it-"

Akane cut him off with a snort. "You, thinking about things."

"No, really I-"

"Ranma, nobody's going to judge you for sitting with us. Seriously, that was my fault for getting mad," Akane said, laughing to herself. "I haven't had my therapist for very long, actually."

"Seems about right."

She chucked another stuffed animal at him, which he batted to the side. "Shut up! You had been here for a week, and I was still furious at Daddy for engaging us. Genma was being, well, Genma, loafing around and all that. So, one day, I was in the furo, and he walked in without knocking."

"You beat the shit out of him, didn't you."

Akane cracked her knuckles. "And now I have anger management therapy once a week."

Ranma sat up and stared at her. "What? He was being a pervert, how is that fair? 'Sides, Pops always deserves a good beat down."

"Well, I sorta used your ventilator to do it, and Nabiki said it was either that or she would make me pay for it..."

"Idiot."

The silence was comfortable as Ranma slowly drifted off to sleep, burying deeper into his covers. For a moment, he had been worried sleeping in Akane's room was going to be weird and awkward, but it wasn't. If anything, he felt way more comfortable knowing Genma wasn't breathing down his back. "Goodnight, 'Kane," he murmured, pulling the bear closer to his chest.

"'night, Ranma."

 **Akane**

Akane pulled her cardigan tighter around her nightgown, the crisp morning air chilling out the last hints of warmth from her bed. Bare feet sinking into the dewy grass, she crossed the garden with quiet purpose. Stopping just short of the dojo door, she carefully slid it open and leaned against the wooden frame. _Let's see… I'll bet he's in here._

Sure enough, Ranma was busy working his way through a kata, punching and kicking his way across the dojo. His new shirt fit him perfectly, hugging his frame and accenting his blue eyes. She smiled as he finished his routine and noticed her, waving her over. "Good morning, Ranma!" she called, walking up to him.

"Mornin'. I didn't wake ya up, did I?" he asked, letting his fists relax.

"It's okay, a bit of movement is better than you and Genma shouting," Akane said.

Ranma grinned sheepishly before settling down onto the dojo floor. "Guess so. Wonder whether Ryoga made it through the night or not."

"Why wouldn't he?" She settled down next to him, leaning back as they watched the peaceful garden.

"My curse might be bad, but I got nothin' on him," he said, staring warily at the koi pond. "Back in middle school, he would get lost on his way to the bathroom, so Teach made me lead him around all the time. I would walk him home and stuff."

Akane looked at him, wondering about the distant look in his eyes. _That was the same look he had last night too…_ "That was sweet of you."

"Nah, he was my friend. No big deal, really. Ya know, I can't wait 'till he cools down so we can talk again, or spar even. He's pretty good, but I'm still the best." He puffed his chest out in pride, watching Genma's window for signs of life.

"So coming from you, that means he's basically inhuman."

"Well, even I had trouble lifting that umbrella, so yeah." A light flickered on in Nabiki's room, bells from the nearby church ringing out seven tolls. "Hey, Akane?"

"Yeah?"

"You know, your hair looks nice down like that. Why don't you ever wear it down?"

A bird took flight from the fence, chirping lightly as it rejoined its flock hovering above. _What?_ Her hand automatically went to her hair, which she hadn't bothered to brush and put in its bow before she had followed Ranma outside. Instead, it fell over both shoulders and down her back. "R-Ranma-" He watched her quizzically, and she stared back for a moment before she realized it was out of confusion.

 _Idiot! He has no idea what you're thinking, it was just a compliment. Of course it would be just a compliment, coming from him._ As if to reinforce her thoughts, he asked, "Akane, are you okay? Your face got all weird and red."

Sighing, she shook her head and smiled at him. _Even if he doesn't see it, he still meant it…_ "Thank you, your new shirt looks really nice too."

"Ya think? I really gotta thank Yuka somehow, wonder if I could do something for lunch today… C'mon, let's go get ready." He jumped to his feet and stretched. "I'll wake up Pig Boy, maybe he'll tag along. He is our age, after all."

She took the hand he offered to her, laughing as he pulled her up. "He'll probably pay even less attention in class than you do!"

"I still don't get why I need ta learn algebra to be a martial artist, though," he grumbled as they walked back across the lawn.

"Who knows..." Akane shivered as a cold gust blew through the air. Suddenly, Ranma wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"There, is that warmer?" he asked. "Why didn'tcha get dressed before you went outside?"

She flushed, looking away from her fiance. Begrudgingly, she knew he was right – blowing up at him would just push her back out into the cold air. Ranma was really warm, too, and his new shirt was soft as it pressed against her sleeveless arms. _No, I'm supposed to hate him! Why does he have to be so damn nice to me?_ "You woke me up at six fifteen in the morning, I wanted to see what you were doing."

"And what exactly were you doing?"

Ranma and Akane jumped apart as Nabiki looked up from her magazine at them. "Nothing!" Akane exclaimed.

"Whaddya mean?" Ranma asked. "I was doin' my katas, real martial artists practice every day!" He winced as Akane slugged his arm. "Of course, that's just a suggestion, I mean-"

"He doesn't get it, does he?" Nabiki said to Akane as Ranma kept babbling excuses, and she shook her head and sighed.

"How are you, Nabs?"

"I'm… fine," she responded, pressing her face closer to the magazine. Ranma and Akane exchanged a skeptical glance, but said nothing about it. _Knowing my sister, she probably has some crazy scheme cooked up._

Kasumi walked over to the table and set a tray filled with food down in the center of the table. "Breakfast, everyone!"

When Ryoga stumbled into the kitchen, he found Ranma and the Tendo girls happily chatting around the table. "Ryoga dear, how did you sleep?" Kasumi asked, getting up to allow him to sit.

"Um… I slept good, I guess." He wavered uncertainly in the doorway, looking around the full table.

Akane pushed her empty bowl out in front of her. "Alright, I'm gonna go get changed. Ryoga, you should sit down." She pushed herself to her feet and walked past him to her bedroom. Uncertainly, Ryoga settled down at the table and served himself, staring down at his food.

"So, Ryoga, what are you going to do now?" Kasumi asked as she sat back down in Akane's spot.

"Um..." He shrugged, then jolted with surprise as Ranma slung his arm around his shoulder.

"Why don'tcha come to school with me 'n Akane?" he said with a grin. "It'll be just like old times!"

Ryoga rolled his eyes and shoved him off. "You mean, you stealing my lunch bread?"

"I won that fair and square!"

He laughed, before shaking his head and sighing. "No, look… I- I was thinking about it last night, but I think I just need more time. To myself, you know?" They ate in silence for a bit, then he put his bowl down and got up. "Thank you for the meal and everything, but I think I'm going to go now."

"Ya sure?" Ryoga nodded, and Ranma grinned back. "Well, it's good to see ya, Ryoga. Good luck getting home."

The other boy cracked a small smile. "I'll need it, won't I?" Picking up his umbrella and his pack, he turned and headed for the door. He hesitated at the threshold, searching for words but not knowing what to say.

"Ryoga, you're welcome back here anytime sweetie. We would never turn away one of Ramna's friends," Kasumi said.

"Right, well… bye, I guess," Ryoga muttered, then slipped out the door. Ranma waved as the door closed, feeling slightly sorry for his friend. He was probably already lost; who knows how long it would take him to get back home?

 _I wonder whether we'll see him again?_

 **[A/N] Happy 2018 everybody! I hope everyone had a great holidays and new year, and I'm excited to take this story into this year :)**

 **Thank you to Hiroshi Coyote, guest, James Birdsong, Ergoemos, and Nayru-dom for reviewing! Your feedback means the world to me**

 **Signing out, Allie**

 **[Edit 2/11/18] Grammar**


	8. Disconnection

Chapter Eight: Disconnection

 **Ranma**

"Too slow!"

Akane winced as Ranma slipped through her defenses and landed a punch on her upper arm. Stepping back, she wiped sweat off of her forehead. "I think I'm done for right now."

He grinned at her, fighting down a flicker of desire as he admired her. _I ain't gonna admit it to her, but she's a good sparring partner. Dunno why I ever refused to spar with a girl – more of Pops' bullshit, I guess._ "Tired already?"

"Oh, come on. You're sweating too, and Kasumi's almost done with dinner." She smirked as she brushed past him. "If you try to sneak attack me, I'll throw you in the koi pond."

"Ah, please, you couldn't do it even if you tri- woah!"

Ranma's red hair dripped as he clambered out of the pond, glaring at Akane. She stuck her tongue out at him, then yelled, "I get the furo first!"

"No way!"

Soun jumped out of the way as the two teenagers dashed into the house, laughing as they pushed and shoved their way to the door. Akane flew inside first, raising an eyebrow as Ranma followed on her heels. "I win!"

Ranma crossed his arms, gritting his teeth as they squished against his chest. "Nu-uh, you got a head start so it's a tie."

"Well, I think you're just a sore loser."

"So what if I am?"

"Well, then..." Akane made what Ranma could only assume was her best attempt to be seductive; something in between laughter and her best Nabiki impression. "Since you're a girl right now and we tied, you wouldn't mind if we _shared,_ would you? We can both use the furo at the same time if we're the same gender, after all."

Ranma's face flushed bright red, his eyes immediately flying to her sweaty neck and also- _Stop stop stop no you're not supposed to think like that about her, she your- She's my fiance, I can't like her like- Wait, I don't like her, what am I saying? Shut up before you say something stupid like you lo- Damn it, think about beating Kuno up!_ "Guh- I, um- Ya know, I think I'm gonna go help Kasumi with the dishes!" He backpedaled and flew out of the room, and Akane burst into raucous laughter as he fled. "And I'm a _boy_ , dammit!"

"Right, because you're just a _paragon_ of masculinity looking like that," Nabiki drawled as he flew into the kitchen. Grabbing the teapot, he filled it up with water and slammed it down on the stove.

"You and Akane were having a good time, Ranma," Kasumi said, a teasing lilt to her voice.

Opening his mouth to retort, Ranma caught himself as he realized she was right. "Yeah, I guess we were. 'kane's a good fighter."

"You two make a good match," Soun said, sitting at the head of the table cross-legged with his eyes closed. Ranma made an indignant noise and moved to kick him, but the Tendo patriarch held up a hand to stop him. "I only mean that as a compliment, Ranma."

"Oh." Ranma stopped short of the go board, his braid bouncing back behind his shoulder. Unsure of what to say, he sat at the table and crossed his arm. "Well, we ain't dating, okay?"

"Of course not," Soun said diplomatically as a disgruntled Genma stomped in the door and glared at Ranma.

"Boy, you better not be planning on eating dinner like that," he growled. Ranma jumped back to his feet as he smirked. "Wearing pink like that, you look just like a little gi-"

Kasumi and Soun both sighed as a panda poked its head out of the koi pond. "So what if I want to eat dinner like this?!" Ranma shouted after him. "It's my body! 'sides, Akane's in the furo right now, Pops, and I ain't gonna walk in on her!"

He sat back down in a huff, crossing his arms. _Serves the old man right! He's been loafing all day and then he thinks he can come in here and say stuff like that._ The kitchen was quiet, and he looked between the Tendo. "What?"

The two sisters exchanged a look, and Kasumi said, "Well, it's been what, three weeks since you ripped your old shirt?"

"Yeah, so?"

"You made a big deal about how your curse wasn't your body then," Nabiki deadpanned, not taking her eyes off of her magazine.

Ranma blinked, slowly realizing what he had just said to his father. "Oh."

"So you do feel different now?"

"I dunno." He looked down at his body, the curvy feminine figure he had so vehemently hated not so long ago. _She's right – I don't mind it as much as I did then._ "Some days I really hate it, but sometimes I really don't mind it at all. Either way, it's still me and I ain't gonna let Pops trash it like that."

Nabiki looked like she had something to say about that, but she was interrupted by Akane who poked Ranma's shoulder as she sat down next to him. "Furo's all yours."

The hot water sculpted his body, chiseling his chest and bringing the familiar strength and vitality as grace and poise slipped away. He had lost track of how many times he had gone through the change yet it never failed to amaze him. Staring up at the falling water, he sighed.

 _Why don't I mind this anymore?_

Ranma wasn't completely clueless. He had been the first to notice his shifting behavior, and Akane had caught on not long after. There was something of an unspoken agreement in the Tendo household – asking about it was off-limits, and Akane was the only one who dared push that. It seemed like Genma was the only one who hadn't noticed, which was entirely unsurprising to everyone involved.

Nobody had asked questions when Ranma never left Akane's room after the night Ryoga had stayed over.

The Tendos had started to feel more and more like family as the days passed. He and Akane had been virtually inseparable after their rocky start – he had gotten over what he now recognized as his ridiculous block on sparring girls and started training with her, and she had helped tutor him and get through the massive stack of homework he had received on the first day. Kasumi was the supportive figure he had never had before, and he found it was growing easier to tell her what he was feeling, something he had never done with Genma.

Nabiki was prickly, and he had noticed a marked change after knowing her for a week. She was hiding something – Soun tried to get her to tell it occasionally but she always found an excuse to walk away. Still, they poked fun at each other, and she felt a lot like an older sister to him.

But the thing he notice the most was how _normal_ it all was. For the first time in Ranma's life, he wasn't constantly traveling and fighting. He had made real friends with Sayuri outside of Akane, he had a stable home, and what felt like family. Hell, he was happy with it too! Never on the road had he made stable relationships, so on some level this was everything he had been subconsciously hoping for.

Really, his curse and… whatever it was causing inside of him was the only real problem he had right now, and he could deal with that.

 _This is my body, curse or not._ He had been indecent in his female body once, and the deep revulsion and self-loathing he had felt the next morning was an experience he was never going to repeat again. How could it not be his body, when exposing himself like that had felt so wrong?

Dinner was calm. After everyone had gotten their fill and moved to get up, Soun cleared his throat and said, "I have an announcement to make."

Nabiki went white as a sheet, and everyone else stopped moving to look at him. "What is it?" Kasumi asked, gently putting the stack of dishes in her arms beside the sink.

Soun wiped the corner of his eye and took a deep breath. "Ever since your mother died, I know I have withdrawn from family life. As you know, I reached out to Genma, which was when we arranged Ranma and Akane's marriage. Our intention was to join our two schools so that Anything Goes martial arts could live on. If the engagement had failed, I was prepared to leave the Tendo dojo behind after the girls had grown old enough to leave."

"You're going to sell the dojo?!" Akane yelled incredulously, slamming her hands down on the table. "You can't do that! Mo-"

"Akane, calm down." Kasumi rested a hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her back into a sitting position. "We haven't heard the rest of what Father has to say."

"I was afraid the engagement would fail, Akane." Soun turned to address her and Ranma directly. "Despite it being an arranged marriage, I would never force one of my daughters to marry someone unwillingly and I was worried at first that it would fall through. With you and Ranma getting along so well, I am so happy to say my fears were unfounded."

"We're not getting married!"

"I ain't gonna marry her!" Ranma shouted at the same time, and they looked at each other and blushed.

Soun chuckled, shaking his head. "Of course not, but the fact remains that you two are the heirs to our schools, and you will be the ones to join them. Because of that, I have decided that it is time for me to return to teaching once more."

The kitchen fell silent as the news sunk in, only the gentle hum of cicadas filtering in from the garden. Kasumi wore a look of stunned disbelief identical to Akane's, Genma nodded sagely, and Nabiki had retreated back into her magazine. The eldest sister was the first to speak again, quietly asking, "How soon?"

"I've already spoken to several old friends of mine who've expressed interest in enrolling their kids. In fact, I've been planning to start up lessons next week, with Genma as my assistant."

Ranma gaped at his father, anger seeping into his veins as he looked at his father. "You knew about this?"

"Of course I did, boy," Genma said. "I _arranged_ this marriage, I should think I know the terms."

Akane threw Kasumi's hand off her shoulder and shot to her feet. "I can't believe you!" Spinning on her heel, she sprinted away from the table. Everybody winced and turned to Ranma as a door slammed who scowled back.

"What? I ain't about to go and apologize for ya! What is this, some crazy scheme to get us together faster?" he snapped at Soun, and he shook his head with a frown.

"We're simply ensuring that you have the best future possible when you take over the school," Genma growled, ignoring Kasumi's audible sigh. "You ought to be grateful."

"What, so you'll run a dojo if I'm ready to take it but you won't for Akane? Is that why you've been loafing around this whole time, both of you?"

"There has never been a female successor to either of our schools, you know that," Genma muttered as Soun held up a hand to shut him up.

"I have three beautiful girls, yes, but the Tendo school is not what it used to be. The Saotome school has the technique and the prestige we need to keep both schools alive," he said, glaring sideways at Genma.

"Yeah, right, I'm _sure_ it ain't cause ya care more about this stupid engagement than your own daughter," Ranma snapped. "Run your school for all I care; hell, ya even got Pops to get up off his fat lazy ass and do something for once, but Akane and I ain't gonna marry each other!" Jumping to his feet, he ignored Nabiki's appraising look and headed towards Akane's bedroom.

"Boy, come back!" Genma called after him. "We're doing what's right for the two of you and the schools! Someday, you'll see that!"

Ranma ignored him, taking a deep breath to relax as he pressed his hands against Akane's door. "Hey, I'm coming in," he called through the wood, then pushed the door open.

Akane knelt at her bedside, her arms wrapped around her head as she cried into her comforter. He closed the door behind him, uncertainly going to her side and reaching out a hand to comfort her. She slapped it away and muttered, "Go away!"

Ranma took a step back and pulled himself up onto her bed with a huff. "Look, it ain't like I'm happy with this either. They can go shove their stupid sexist crap back up their- Akane?" She threw her arms around him, crying into his shirt. He hesitantly hugged her back, unsure what to say.

"He was going to sell the dojo," she whispered. "He and Mom loved it here, they would train people together and- and- and he was just gonna throw her away. He wasn't even gonna let me take it over."

 _I don't know what I can say to make her feel better._ "We're not going to do their dumb arranged marriage, Ak-"

"No, you don't get it!" Her brown eyes watered as she looked up at him. "All my life, I've wanted to be like Mom, to help run the dojo, but Daddy stopped teaching me after she died. I never stopped working towards it, but- but he never helped. I don't think he ever was going to let me take the school over, really. And then you come along, and you're so much stronger than I am, and suddenly he's ready to run the dojo again!"

Ranma pulled her tighter. "You're strong, Akane," he whispered back fiercely. "It's been a long time since I've had a sparring partner that wants to keep up with me, besides Pops at least. I don't want this any more than you do, okay?"

"He doesn't care about me! He doesn't care about any of us, only himself and his stupid school." Akane's shoulders shook and her fingers dug into Ranma's silk shirt. "I don't wanna get married at sixteen! I don't wanna choose between getting to be a master like Mom was and having my own life!"

"I could train you." The words flew out of Ranma's mouth before he had a chance to think about them. "Screw them. If you want to be a master, I can help you."

"I don't want help from a stupid boy who happens to be my fiance!"

"You just said it yourself. If I don't help ya, who will? It's not like I _want_ to teach a dumb tomboy, or anything." That wasn't true – the second he said it he realized that he did, in fact, want to help Akane, but he wasn't about to give her the satisfaction of knowing that.

Luckily, she didn't blow up at him, rather deflating slightly. "You would really do that for me?"

"Course I would, you're my friend. 'sides, you're not the only one who's angry at those old geezers right now," Ranma said. "I ain't gonna let the engagement ruin that."

"Thank you..."

The world darkened outside as they talked about nothing and everything, Akane slowly calming down. Eventually they both began to yawn and he tried to pull away. "I'm gonna go to sleep, 'kay?"

"Don't go," she mumbled into his sleeve, and he flushed bright red.

"Wha- No!"

"Not that, _idiot_ ," she said with a small laugh, punching him lightly. "When we were young, Kasumi or Mom would sleep with me when I was upset. I just… I miss that, and you're already sleeping in here..."

"But you're a girl, and I'm a guy," Ranma protested as she let go of him.

Akane wiped her eyes, getting under the covers. His head twisted at her hopeful yet lost gaze. "Then go change, dumbass. You're basically a girl half the time anyway, so who cares?"

Something about the way she said that made him get up and walk into the furo, where he promptly banged his head against the mirror and stared down at the sink. _Why did she say that? She couldn't have meant anything by it, so don't think about it- What did she mean, a girl half the time? That doesn't even make sense, I'm a man among men-_

 _She was falling into the river, rising to the surface with tears of joy running down her face._

 _No no no no not thinking about that._ Shaking his head, he sighed and filled up a cup with cold water. _This means nothing, okay? She's crying and she's my friend, this is the least I can do for her._

Why did his red hair and blue eyes disagree with him?

Fighting down the heat burning his cheeks, Ranma hesitantly climbed into Akane's bed. She looked asleep, but he poked her to make sure. As he did, she shifted back to take up space he had carefully set out between them and mumbled, "Thank you, sis."

He fought down a wave of panic, forcing himself to stay calm. _Sis. That's all, she just sees me like her fourth sister._ _She was crying, stop making this into more than it should be!_ Relaxing, he pulled his arms to his chest and closed his eyes, resigning himself to spending the rest of the night in his fiancee's bed.

 _She's… soft…_

 **Nabiki**

Everyone else in the kitchen watched as Ranma stormed out of the kitchen. There was a moment of awkward silence, then Genma coughed and said, "Well, that could've gone better."

Slowly, Kasumi got to her feet. Picking up her glass of water, she walked over to Genma and upended its contents onto his head. "Oops."

In spite of the queasy feeling in her throat, Nabiki couldn't help but smirk at her sister. _Damn, I wish she showed her hard side off more. It'd do those trainwrecks some good, for sure._

"Nabiki." She turned to her father, bracing herself for what she knew was yet to come as the panda lumbered off towards the furo. Soun's expression was hard as he looked her over. "You still haven't told them. I told you to apologize two weeks ago."

"I-"

He held up a hand. "I don't want to hear it. I have no tolerance for you disrespecting my future son-in-law or your own sister like that. If you don't tell them tomorrow, I'll do it myself."

Nabiki started to retort but bowed her head in a deep wave of shame as she caught Kasumi's questioning glance. Getting up, she went to her room and threw herself onto her bed, magazine forgotten as she buried her head in her pillow.

 _They're going to hate me if Akane doesn't kill me first._

 _How did I screw this up so bad?_

 **[A/N] It's been more than a year since I started writing this story! It's crazy that if you just spend a little time writing every now and then, a year later you end up with more than 20k words and counting! Keep at it, writers – every ounce of effort accumulates and it just gets better and better.**

 **Thank you to Katt1848, Guest, James Birdsong, Northwest Brony, and korrd for reviewing! You guys rock!**

 **Any and all concrit or other feedback is more than welcome! Thank you so much for reading, and I'll see y'all soon :)**

 **Signing out, Allie**


	9. Rocky Relevations

Chapter Nine: Rocky Relevations

 **Ranma**

Warm morning sun drifted across her face, a light smile dusting her lips. Nesting against Akane, Ranma hummed happily to herself in her semi-sleep, too comfortable to think about waking up. Red hair drifted into her face, strands swinging as she breathed in and exhaled. _Don't wanna get up…_

Akane's eyes blinked open. "Ranma? Wha…"

"Too early," she mumbled, tucking her head tighter against the other girl's chest.

Akane tried to push her off, but Ranma refused to budge and she gave up after a minute. Sighing, her head fell back onto her pillow and she stared past the redhead out the window. "I'm sorry about last night. It's just… I've always wanted to take over the dojo, but not like this..."

Ranma shook her head. "'s not your fault, I blame the stupid panda." She let herself relax for another minute of peaceful silence, slowly mustering the willpower to get out of bed. _Why don't I mind this? God, she's my fiancee and I'm_ cuddling _her._ Shoving down her uncertainty, she forced herself to sit up in bed, wild red hair spilling down into her face.

Akane groaned as Ranma clambered over her and got out of the bed. "I thought you didn't want to get up?"

Ranma battled with her warring emotions, contemplating what Akane had said as she pulled her pink shirt on. "If I'm going to really train you, you have to get up earlier," she said, deciding to ignore how she had been sleeping. _Sis. She sees me as a third sister, that's what she said last night. She would never want me to be her girlfriend, she definitely doesn't want to marry me- wait a second._

 _Sister? Girlfriend? What the_ _hell?_

Frozen, Ranma looked from Akane to the door. _I'm a guy. Who slept in_ his _fiancee's bed last night._ Uncertainly, he said, "I- You should change. I'll go get the dojo ready." She sleepily hummed in acknowledgment, and he slipped out of her room and into the hallway.

Instead of going to the dojo, he wandered into the furo and aimlessly found himself staring at the mirror. Flush cheeks, full blue eyes, bedhead: there was no way to deny that he looked like a girl. Reaching up, he tentatively reached up to touch his cheek before letting his hand drift back down the length of his body. _I…_

Disgust filled him, pooling like black oil on the curves of his chest. Yanking the hot water tap as far on as it would go, he grabbed a bowl from by the tub and dumped the water onto his head. Too hot, it hissed against his skin painfully and he winced as his form shifted and grew. To his dismay, the disgust didn't go away – it expanded, taking his breath away. Gripping the sink tightly, he fought the urge to go curl up in the corner. _What the hell is wrong with me?_

Using breathing techniques he had learned as a little kid, he calmed himself down enough to stumble away from the mirror and out of the bathroom. He desperately tried to clear his mind.

Training would make it all better. Teaching Akane to fight meant it would be at least a little while before he would have to think about, well, _that_ again.

 **Akane**

"Ranma's being weird again today."

Yuka and Akane both turned to look at Sayuri. The three girls were leaning against the fence during gym class, watching the games in front of them as they waited their turn. Frowning, Yuka whispered, "What do you mean?"

Sayuri shook her head. "I mean, he's been watching the girls play all class. He's not even trying, and he _always_ tries in gym. Why do you think he's staring?"

The other two girls looked across the field, where sure enough Ranma had a distant gaze aimed in their general direction. Akane frowned at her friend; he was standing almost awkwardly at the edge of the field, barely going after the ball in the raging game of soccer behind him. "He was like that this morning. We tried to train but he got all weird and distracted." _I mean, it's not like he isn't like this a lot, this is just… worse than usual._

"Maybe he's checking us out. He is a boy, after all..."

Sayuri frowned. "Yuka, I don't think that's..."

Akane had already turned bright red before she could finish her statement. _Checking out girls? Other girls? He- Oh my god, I let him sleep in my bed last night! Is that why he was all cuddly this morning?_ Her temper flaring, she leaped to her feet and yelled, "Hey, Ranma!"

Ranma noticed her, noticeably perking up and walking towards her. Sayuri urgently tugged on her sleeve. "Akane, I don't think he was watching us like that."

She ignored her friend. "Why are you staring at the girls, huh? Stop being such a pervert!"

The instant she shouted it, she knew it had been the wrong thing to say. Ranma stopped short and a hurt expression filled his face. Everyone had turned to look at them when she had yelled, getting jeers from the boys and sending the girls into hushed whispers. He looked down in shame, then clenched his fists. In an instant, his downcast expression turned to anger, and he yelled back, "I wasn't staring, you dumb tomboy! In case you'd forgotten, _I have a fiancee!_ "

"Ooh, he pulled the fiancee card," Yuka stage-whispered to Sayuri, who rolled her eyes and pulled Akane back down before she could throw a punch at him.

"Honestly, Akane, you're an idiot sometimes," she said forcefully, cutting her off. "I told you, I don't think he was staring like that."

"But-"

Sayuri shook her head. "He's our friend and you just called him out in front of the entire class." Akane had the decency to look ashamed at that. "See, he's already looking again. I think something's actually wrong."

"I-" Akane paused, and realization slowly dawned on her. "Oh."

"I know you have a short fuse, but I wonder sometimes," Yuka quipped, shaking her head as she leaned back. Akane flushed, clenching her fist behind her back, her anger flipping inwards in an instant.

Sayuri seemed to read her expression because she reached over and put a hand on her shoulder. "You should apologize."

 _I'm stupid. He's right, I am just a dumb tomboy who doesn't know how to keep her foot out of her mouth._ Watching Ranma, she tried to catch his aimless gaze. When he noticed her staring back at her, he met her eyes for a moment before lowering his head and turning away.

 **Ranma**

Awkward silence stretched between the two teens as they walked home together. Ranma was having trouble balancing on the fence again. The pressure on his chest hadn't gone away at all; if anything, it had gotten worse as the day had stretched on. He couldn't focus, couldn't balance, couldn't fight properly, and it was driving him insane. To make matters worse, his thoughts kept drifting back to the morning; first waking up, then Akane-

"I'm sorry." Abrupt: that was the only way to describe how his fiancee had blurted out the apology before sharply looking away at a passing couple.

Ranma bit his lip, desperately trying to reign in his temper. _She's_ _apologizing_ _, don't do anything stupid! I don't want to be alone again!_

 _I don't want to be alone again._ It was too raw, realizing the truth – before coming to Nerima he had been alone. Now, he had friends! Akane, Sayuri, even Yuka when she wasn't trying to get gossip out of him. "Why? Why would you call me… _that_ in front of the whole class?"

Akane sucked in breath. "I- Sayuri noticed you were staring at the girls and I- I just kind of assumed..."

"When have I ever done anything like that? I'm not Pops! Is that all you see me as?" Ranma asked, his anger bleeding into his tone.

 _But you are a pervert_ , a voice in the back of his mind whispered. _You_ wanted _to stay in your cursed form this morning._

 _I am not and I did not!_ he raged back, furiously blinking back the prickling sensation at the corner of his eyes. _I am a man among men, not some stupid weak girly who enjoys cuddling her best friend or wearing her shirts or-_

 _Shut up shut up shut up!_

If Akane was saving him from his spiraling thoughts, it was a sick salvation, he mused. "I didn't think, Ranma," she said softly, completely oblivious to his internal conflict. "I- When I noticed, I thought you- I thought the only reason you stayed with me last night was to take advantage of me, and-"

"Idiot," he scoffed harshly, and she flinched. "You were crying and I wasn't gonna let you just cry while I was trying to sleep in the same room! What kinda asshole would do that? Besides, you're my best friend, so maybe think about _that_ the next you call me a pervert!" _Cause that's all I think of me._

 _OH MY GOD STOP THINKING!_ Ranma contemplated jumping into the river, maybe that would fix his broken thoughts.

Definitely not because he wanted to change forms.

 _What the hell is wrong with me?_

Akane sniffed slightly. "You're right. I am just a dumb tomboy who doesn't even deserve to be friends with you. You probably don't even want to train me anymore-"

"Nah, I'll still train you. I just-" He took a deep breath. "I just want you to _trust_ me. I mean, if you don't I can just move back into Pop's room-"

"No!" Akane shouted, then flushed slightly. "I- I just- I have issues, issues with boys, you know- You, you're, well, you, but it's still hard sometimes, okay?"

 _Boys._ Narrowing his eyes, he snapped, "So I'm just a _boy_? Living in the same house for a month hasn't meant anything?"

Akane hurriedly shook her head as he dropped down from the fence. "No, you _aren't_. I mean, half the time you barely even act like a boy- Oh, shit, please don't take that the wrong way, you're a man among men and all that bu- Ranma, I- You know about my temper," she ended on a pleading note, crossing her arms over her chest and trying to meet his eyes.

 _I don't even act like a boy half the time? What's that supposed to mean?_

 _It means you're not a man among man, you're a per-_

Ranma seriously wanted to bang his head against the wall. Trying to steady himself, he forced himself to think rationally. _She's in therapy, you know that. Just accept her apology, it's not like she was wrong about you anyways._ "I- um, okay, I guess. Can you just, y'know, tell the other kids that I'm _not_ , okay? Please? Because- I'm just- It's not true, okay?"

"Of course I will," she said hurriedly, trying to stop him from stumbling over his own words. "I already told the other girls I was overreacting in the locker room, I can try to tell the boys too. Look, really, I'm sorry-"

Acting on an impulse, Ranma shuffled closer and gave her an awkward one-armed hug. "I know, 'Kane. I just… I'm glad you're around 'n stuff."

She blushed and looked away. "R-right. Thank you, Ranma."

As they passed Dr. Tofu's clinic, Ranma found his gaze lingering on the faded sign. _Maybe Tofu'll know what's wrong. Maybe he can help… He did say I could come whenever I needed to talk…_

 _Pervert._

Shaking his head, Ranma turned away without giving the doctor another thought.

 **Nabiki**

"Ranma, Akane, I have to tell you two something."

There – that was it, the dreaded words were out of Nabiki's mouth. Now she just had to deal with the consequences.

Ranma and Akane had been quietly talking to each other at the end of the table so Genma and Soun weren't able to eavesdrop. Now they both looked up, and Akane asked, "What is it, sis?"

She took a deep sigh. "You know how we haven't been doing well, right? Financially?"

"Yeah?"

"Ever since Mommy died, I've been the only one supporting the household. First it was a part-time job, then it was two part-time jobs. We- We weren't doing great, but we got by." Seeing their frowns, she said, "About six months ago, it wasn't enough anymore. I had to do something more."

Akane narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean, 'something more?'"

"I…" Ranma gave her a pointed glance as she trailed off, and she hesitantly said, "I've been taking pictures. And selling them. Of both of you."

Ranma and Akane stared at her blankly as Genma and Kasumi both gawked at the middle sister. "To who?" Ranma asked, his eyes narrowing.

Nabiki was barely whispering at this point. "Well, to… to the boys in my class, mostly them, but… my main customer was, uh, Kuno."

There was a moment of silence, and then Akane exploded. "YOU'VE BEEN SELLING PICTURES OF ME TO _**KUNO?!**_ " she shrieked, almost in disbelief.

"And me?" Ranma echoed, and she nodded in shame.

"So that- that p-" Catching herself, Akane shot Ranma a guilty look and said, " _monster_ has seen my, well-"

"No, I would never!" Nabiki yelled, not missing Soun's significant look. "I mean, I only took pictures of you exercising, Akane. And Ranma, I-"

"You what?" Ranma growled dangerously.

"It was only your female form," she muttered. "You never seemed to care, so I- I never took full on you-know-whats, I- Kuno told me he wouldn't pay unless I gave him more, and I- I stopped, I talked to Daddy, I- I'm sorry!"

To her surprise, it was Ranma who pushed away from the table unsteadily and sprinted out of the house. She turned to Akane only to find utter betrayal written on her face. "I can't believe this. Kuno- I thought you were my _sister_ ," she snarled, then ran after Ranma.

Nabiki turned to Kasumi, who only shook her head. Voice dead, she said, "You knew."

"You're right… You were supporting our family," she said quietly, turning back to the dishes. "I've been doing Mother's job when I should have been working. It- I knew it wasn't right, but if I leave the house untended..."

"All three of us are to blame," Soun said, bowing her head. "You did the right thing, Nabiki. I should never have let my daughters take up all the responsibility in this family just because your Mother left us. When we start holding classes again, hopefully I can begin making up for lost time."

That was too much for Nabiki, and she finally allowed herself to start crying for the first time since her mother's death. Her Ice Queen persona melted away, and she found herself clinging to Soun as Kasumi comfortingly rubbed her back. "I… I miss her, Daddy. I miss Mommy," she sobbed.

"We know, Nabs," Kasumi said, holding back tears herself. "We all do."

The Tendos held each other for a while longer, before eventually breaking apart. Nabiki had calmed down when Soun shifted his focus to Genma. "I apologize, Genma, for the shame my family has brought you under my own roof."

Genma didn't look disturbed, though; he looked _pensive_. "It's not a big deal, old friend. At least the boy got _something_ of value out of that curse of his."

Nabiki and Kasumi shared a disturbed glance – even Soun seemed slightly put out by that response. _If it wasn't a big deal, then why did he run out before Akane?_

 **Ranma**

Ranma didn't know where he was running to, but it didn't matter because he didn't get very far. Stopping short, he unloaded his dinner into their neighbor's hedge, dry-heaving as he gripped the scraggly boughs.

He wasn't just angry, no. He felt _violated_ , like he wanted to curl up into a tiny ball and cry. Out of his control, his fist swirled with ki as he punched the bush, blasting a hole through the shrub. _This isn't my body, I'm being like a stupid weak girl, I shouldn't even care, it's just a curse, I'm a man among men, this is the exact same_ _stupid_ _shit I've been saying all day and it never ever ever ever ever ends._

"Ranma! Ranma! Calm down, please, let me talk to you!" Vaguely realizing that he was hyperventilating, Ranma tried to take deep heaving breaths to calm himself down. Unable to speak, he hugged Akane, who returned it without a second thought.

He needed to cry, he couldn't cry. It felt like everything he felt was happening at a distance, blocked by some indistinct shadowy mass he couldn't break through. _How will she ever know that if I can't tell her? I don't even want to cry, I'm not supposed to cry, I haven't cried since-_

He couldn't think about falling in the river now. If he did, he instinctively knew he would never be able to put his life back together again.

"I'm angry at her too," Akane was saying. "Look, we can deal with her and Kuno. Can you just come upstairs with me? We'll both feel better if we get a little bit of sleep, okay?"

The next events seemed to happen in a daze. Somehow, Ranma nodded and the next thing he knew they were sneaking back in the front and up the stairs, away from where he could hear Nabiki faintly crying in the kitchen. Akane led him back to their room to get ready for bed, and at some point he found himself stumbling into the furo.

The pigtailed boy in the mirror was the same boy he'd been seeing his entire life, but he looked at him now with a new intensity. Things were wrong – since when had his shoulders been so wide, his cheekbones so pronounced? His hand drifted down to the faucet, and he hesitated for a moment before dumping the cold water over his head.

As he changed, the pressure and discomfort he had constantly been feeling all day lifted in an instant. He gasped at the sheer _euphoria_ that filled him with the change, stripping away every emotional defense he had and leaving him vulnerable as the memories of the day came rushing back to him.

In that moment, Ranma knew he would never truly be a man, or maybe even male at all.

 _Stop being such a pervert!_ Akane's voice seemed to ring in his mind.

Akane ran from her room to the furo as Ranma burst into hysterics. Helping the sobbing and confused martial artist up, she helped him back into her room and set him down on her bed. Neither of them questioned it when she got under the covers after him. Whispering comforting things to him, she tried to calm him down but only succeeded in helping him cry himself to sleep.

 _You're a man among men. You'll_ _ **never**_ _be a girl!_

* * *

 **[A/N] It's been a second, hasn't it? Thank you for everyone who read this story while I was away, you all rock! I finally got my life back in order and I got to a place where I was ready to write this story again, so cheers to that!**

 **Related note – thank you for one hundred followers! All of you are great, thank you! Thanks also have to go out to flairina, Armiture, James Birdsong, Qistiko, James1996, Siatru, and Raineh Daze for reviewing, y'all rock!**

 **Please review, your feedback means the world to me :)**

 **Signing out, Allie**


	10. Equal and Opposite

Chapter Ten: Equal and Opposite

 **TW: Dated and mildly transphobic language**

 **Akane**

The Tendo household was somber the next morning.

Soun had left early to catch more parents of possible students before they left for work, intent on getting his revamped school off the ground by the end of the week. Genma was his usual self, nearly oblivious to everybody else's funk. Nabiki refused to meet anybody else's gaze, leaving for school a full half-hour earlier than usual. Kasumi was worried for both of her sisters and Ranma but quietly kept it to herself. For the first time in a long time, she could seriously think about her college plans and engagement again, and she felt free and happy.

For Akane, though, Ranma had been downright nasty today.

She had woken up to her fiance roughly forcing his way out of her tight embrace. Sitting up, looked at him with a confused glance. "Ranma? Is something wrong?"

Ranma's gaze fell for a moment, then he snapped, "Yeah. I slept in here cause Ryoga needed to sleep somewhere. He's gone and I ain't gonna sleep in a girl's room anymore!"

Akane flinched, but her temper didn't spark at all. She marveled at that under her hurt for a moment. _After seeing him so… vulnerable, I don't know if I'll ever be able to get really angry at him like that again._ "Is this about last night?"

He glared at her, then dragged his mattress out of the room. She watched him go, then sighed and flopped back on her bed. _God, this is all Nabs and the stupid panda's fault. What a mess…_

The day didn't go any better from there. For the first time in a week, Ranma and Genma sparred with a furious intensity that almost scared the Tendos. When Ranma got launched into the koi pond, he shrieked in rage and kicked his father through the solid stone wall (Akane wasn't sure if that was hot, satisfying, or terrifying). Instead of waiting for her to get ready to go to school, he headed out before her and she was forced to walk alone.

In gym, she watched with Sayuri and Yuka as he destroyed their classmates in soccer with relentless intensity. Her friends kept shooting her questioning looks, but after she shook her head they dropped the issue and settled for gossiping across her, ignoring her entirely.

 _How can I help him?_

Sure, they had had their moments of separation since Ranma had arrived in her life, but they almost always had been caused by _her_ and her temper. Now that he had shut himself off, she acutely felt the void left where her best friend wasn't; when had Ranma gotten closer to her than Sayuri and Yuki?

 _When did I stop minding our engagement?_

Gym ended, and everybody stood up to go back in to change. The boys gave Ranma a wide berth as he stalked past, and Akane shook her head and sighed. Before they made it back inside, though, Hiroshi and Daisuke stopped the trio and pulled them to the side. Hiroshi was bright red and kept shooting looks at Yuka, but Daisuke kept a level head. "Do you guys know what's up with Ranma?"

Akane looked down as Yuka and Sayuri both shook their heads. "Akane, do you know?"

 _I think he's having an identity crisis because his magical curse turned him into a girl in more than just body but he would never be able to admit that to himself because of all the bullshit his father fed him, and he had a breakdown because my sister sold pictures of his girl form to a pervert and because I was a jerk in gym yesterday._ Biting her lip, she said, "Family stuff. It's..."

Sayuri instinctively moved to hug her. "That bad? Is it about the engagement?"

"No, not at all, but he is angry at me. It's complicated." Looking at the entrance to the boys' locker room, she said, "I'm worried about him."

"So are we," Hiroshi said quietly.

Daisuke frowned. "It's like he's a completely different person every time I see him. Yesterday he was barely functional and today its like he wants to burn the school down."

"So you've noticed it too," Yuka said. "We've been wondering about it since he got to Nerima. Maybe he's repressing something."

Akane contained a laugh. _Oh, you have no idea._ "Ranma… He'll be okay in a couple of days, and… I don't know, there's not much I can do if he won't talk to me."

"I wonder..." Sayuri mused. Akane, getting the sneaking suspicion she had figured out her suspicions, shot her a discrete look and got a minute nod in return. "Well, we'll get to the bottom of this, I'm sure."

"Hey, Akane, if there's any way we can help just tell us, okay?" Daisuke said, then nudged Hiroshi and loudly whispered, "Come on, bro, you got this."

Hiroshi flushed, then took a deep breath and stammered, "And, um, Yuka, maybe sometime, we could, um, you know, like-"

Yuka made an 'O' in recognition, then grinned at him. "Sure, that sound fun! Wanna go to the mall this weekend?"

Akane and Sayuri both groaned, but his face broke out into a broad smile. "Yeah. Yeah, that sounds awesome!"

"Oh, the wonders of young love," Daisuke drawled, earning a laugh from Akane as Sayuri stepped on his foot and shook her head.

For just a moment, she was able to let her troubles slip away and revel in a startling normalcy she hadn't felt in a month. _God, I hope Ranma is doing okay._

 **Ranma**

He didn't know where he was going, or the point of walking around in the first place. All Ranma knew was the Tendo Dojo was the last place he wanted to be that afternoon.

 _I can't go back and talk to 'Kane right now. I moved out of her room! She's probably angry with me anyways._

 _No, she wasn't angry. She just seemed sad._

No, he just needed to spend time around people who _didn't_ know he turned into a weak girl for one moment of his life, people who weren't constantly looking at him like he was a loose fuse waiting to explode. He had considered going to Sayuri's house, but the weirdness of a boy going over to a girl's house had stopped him.

 _I would have been fine with it yesterday,_ his mind whispered before he angrily stamped out the thought.

He had not been _fine_ yesterday. He had been the opposite of fine, and he couldn't understand why for the life of him. The desperation he had felt yesterday was simply gone; he felt comfortable and he had felt constricted when he had woken up. He almost wanted to bang his head against the wall, as if that would make his life make sense again.

He had always been this way, comfortable some days and suffocated others. He knew that was true, no matter how much he might deny it. Ever since Jusenkyo, though, it had been getting harder and harder to ignore it and he couldn't understand why for the life of him.

At the same time, he thought, _you're a boy, this is stupid,_ and _you're not a boy and you know it._

 _That doesn't make any sense!_

 _If you were really a man, you wouldn't be thinking about dumb stuff like this in the first place!_

In his wandering, Ranma had arrived in a part of Nerima he had never seen before. Frowning, he heard a commotion from a nearby vacant lot and headed towards it. Peeking around the corner, he saw a tall girl lashing at three cowering girls on the ground with a ribbon. Without a second thought, he shot forwards and grabbed the ribbon, placing himself in between the girls. His earlier fury rising back to the surface, he growled, "I've had a _really_ bad week, so I think ya should stop assaulting these girls and leave. Now."

Instead of turning heel and running, the girl gave him a twice-over, first appraisingly then hungrily. "You're the first person to ever catch my ribbon. I've never met another person who could… keep up with me," she said in a sultry tone.

Ranma might have been oblivious, but even he knew enough about girls to tell the strange girl's intentions right. "Yeah, sorry, I ain't gonna date a bully ever. 'side, I've already got a fiancee."

"It's Ranma!" one of the girls said in surprise behind him, and he realized that two of the three were in a few of his classes. _Huh, wonder why crazy was attacking them._

The girl drew back as if stuck. "You dare deny me?" Her lust vanished, and she hissed and launched herself at him as she drew two strange clubs from her clothes.

A month ago, Ranma would never have hit a girl and the battle might have gone very differently. Now, the strange girl was on the ground in seconds, and he stood over her impassively. "I told ya to leave."

The strange girl's expression grew even uglier, and she scrambled away from him and drew herself back up to her full height. "I am the Rising Star of St. Heberke, Kodachi Kuno, and you will regret the day you ever crossed me!" She shoved a black rose into his hands, then disappeared off into a cloud of black petals and mad laughter.

Ranma looked from the rose to where Kodachi had been and shook his head. "Man, some people are just crazy," he muttered, then turned his attention to the girls.

Two of them were crying, and the third was staring up at him with a mix of fear and gratitude. "Thank you," she mumbled, trying to comfort her friends. "She kept saying how she was gonna do worse things if we didn't stay quiet..."

A spark of recognition and Ranma grimaced. "Was she related to Kuno?"

"Yeah, it's his twin sister. She-" The girl took a deep breath. "She's really awful."

"It runs in the family," he said dryly, still uncertain how to help the crying girls. "Do you, uh, wanna come back to the dojo? Kasumi can help you with all the cuts, and 'Kane'll know what to do."

The girls looked uncertain for a moment, then nodded. Helping to their feet, Ranma sighed and started leading them in the direction of the dojo.

 **Akane**

Akane picked her way across the lawn towards the dojo. Hesitantly, she walked up next to Ranma, who was leaning against the door watching Kasumi take care of the three girls inside. He didn't acknowledge her presence. "That was a good thing you did," she said softly.

"Yeah, bullies rub me the wrong way, ya know?"

"You seem like you're feeling better." She hesitantly leaned against him and took his hand, holding back a smile as he pressed back against him slightly. "I'm not mad at you for this morning. I… last night was rough, I understand if you don't want to stay in my room anymore."

At that, Ranma started and looked down at her in surprise. "You- you do?"

She nodded. "You're my best friend, Ranma, I just want you to, y'know..." She gestured at the battered girls, and he tilted his head in understanding. "If you ever want to come back, you're always welcome."

He was wearing one of his father's battered old gis today instead of his pink shirt, she noticed. Pulling at it, he mumbled, "Do you really mean it? I mean, I'm a boy and it's your room, I can just stay with Pops..."

Akane rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but we're engaged too, idiot. Honestly, it's kind of like the sleepovers I used to have with Yuka and Sayuri."

Ranma smiled at her, the relief obvious on his face, then darkened again. "'s all stupid. I dunno what was wrong with me yesterday. I feel fine today."

She tactfully decided not to question that particular statement. "It wasn't your fault, it was Nabs' for screwing everything up!" He didn't respond, eliciting a sigh from her. Leaning in closer, she whispered, "Y'know, if you ever wanna talk I'm here."

"Oh, they're so cute," came the audible whisper from one of the girls.

Ranma shot both of them glares before giving her a quick nod. "Thank you."

Akane hesitated for a moment, then gave him a quick one-armed hug before walking over to the three girls. Kneeling down next to them, she asked, "Saya, what happened?"

Saya sniffled and crossed her arms over her chest. "That crazy girl has been ambushing our team for weeks!"

"Team?" Ranma asked, walking over to stand next to Akane.

She nodded. "Yeah, we do martial arts gymnastics. She's from the fancy girl's private school and we're supposed to face them later this week, only… We were the only ones left who could compete and now we can't!"

"Martial arts gymnastics?" Akane echoed, raising an eyebrow.

Ranma just shrugged. "Eh, I've heard weirder. It ain't your fault that violent girl attacked you. She was pretty fast. Still coulda taken her, though."

She rolled her eyes and lightly hit his shoulder. "Cocky."

Good-naturedly, he shot back, "Oh, I'm sure even you coulda taken him, 'Kane."

"Oh yeah, and what's that supposed to mean? Are you asking for a fight?"

He laughed as she hit him back. "C'mon, we can spar later. Erm… Saya and..."

"Yua and Karin," Saya supplemented, the other two girls giggling behind her. "It's okay, we're in the other class, nice to meet you."

"Right." Ranma scratched the back of his neck, blushing in embarrassment. "Um, we're sorry, but I dunno what we can do if you can't-"

"Akane could do it!" Yua exclaimed excitedly, and Karin's eyes lit up.

"Yeah, you're already so good at martial arts, you could totally figure it out!"

Akane looked from the girls to Ranma doubtfully. "Um, I mean, I'm pretty good at _fighting_ but I'm not that agile or graceful… Why couldn't Ranma do it?" Her fiance gaped at her, but she thought she caught a faint spark of something in his eyes. _I'm serious, Ranma, I hope you got that._

"Don't be silly, Akane. It's a girl thing! You'd be perfect at it!" Karin gushed, oblivious as Ranma instant withdrew back into his shell.

"Yeah, I ain't gonna do some dumb girly thing like that!" he proclaimed, before looking down at the gymnasts guiltily. "Uh, no offense or anything like that. I just think 'Kane'd be great at it."

Through her furious urge to pound Karin into the ground for mentioning gender, Akane couldn't help but marvel at how much Ranma had changed recently. _Sure, he still puts his foot in his mouth all the time, but now he actually tries to apologize_ _afterward. I guess I've changed too, cause I usually wait for him to do it too._

Still, she had never particularly liked the three girls in front of her, and after putting Ranma back onto the defensive she wasn't particularly inclined to help them. Biting her lip, she said, "Sorry, guys, but I really don't think I'll be able to do it."

Saya's face fell, and she sighed. "Damn, I guess that bitch got what she wanted then. It's okay, I don't think we expected you'd actually do it anyway."

Ranma shrunk down even more at her side, and suddenly she had a flash of inspiration. _It can't be… He doesn't actually want to do it, does he? I bet he sees it as an anything goes thing, huh… Maybe… I know he won't say yes today but maybe he'll be more mellow later…_ "Actually, I might be able to get somebody to help you. No promises, but give me a few days?"

When her classmate's eyes lit up, she knew she had said the right thing. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" Yua squealed, leaping up to hug her followed by her teammates. She shot Ranma a look that read 'help me' but he just smirked and shook his head. _God, these super girly girls can be annoying sometimes._

Kasumi came back into the dojo and helped them shoo the gymnasts out, much to her relief. When they were gone, she collapsed to the dojo and shook her head. "Honestly, can you picture me doing _gymnastics_ of all things? I think I'd rather get assaulted by Kuno's sister than get in one of those leotards."

Ranma shuddered. "Nah, I'd take the leotard over that psycho any day.

"I could see you doing gymnastics," a quiet voice came from the door. Ranma and Akane both turned, then gave equal grins when they saw Ryoga leaning against the entrance.

"Ryoga, where'd you come from?" Ranma asked. Before the lost boy could answer him, he ran over and hugged him. "We got worried 'n stuff after you wandered off!"

Ryoga blinked. "You were worried… about… me? But you're-" He stopped short as he caught Akane's wild gesture across her throat to stop, and mouthed, _What?_

 _Later,_ she mouthed back. Fighting her face back to normalcy as Ranma broke away, she asked, "What's that supposed to mean, exactly?" When his eyes flickered to Ranma, she rolled her eyes. "The gymnastics thing, dumbass."

"Oh, um..." Ryoga flushed. "My mom kinda did martial arts gymnastics for a long time, so when I heard people talking about it I got curious and decided to check it out. I thought I was in Osaka, but it turned out to be you guys."

"Huh, I never knew that," Ranma said, scratching his head.

Ryoga shrugged. "Yeah, you never asked."

Akane looked from bemusement to confusion and shook her head. _Honestly, if this kid was Ranma's_ best _friend did he even_ have _other friends at this school? Stupid panda._ "Really, are you okay though? It's been two weeks, and Ranma told me all about how you get lost."

He shrugged. "It wasn't that bad. I ended up in some weird village with a giant boar a bunch, they fed me for a while. I'm used to it."

"Dinner!" Kasumi called, and Genma and Soun both cheered from their shogi table.

Ryoga wavered uncertainly for a moment until Akane nodded towards the kitchen. "Well, Lost Boy, are you gonna eat with us or what?"

He looked at Ranma for confirmation, then grinned. "Yeah, sounds pretty good to me."

Ranma grinned back, walking along next to him as Akane took the rear. "Glad ya got back without deciding ta kill me again."

"Who says I haven't?"

A moment of awkward silence, and then everybody burst out laughing. For the first time that day, the Tendo household seemed to brighten up just a little bit.

 **Akane**

Akane's bedroom was dark, the only illumination coming from the nearby streetlight outside. Wrapped up in the covers, a certain redhead was snoring with a peacefully contented look on her face. Far tenser, Akane was perched on her bed watching Ranma and trying to make sense of the puzzle before him. _God, this morning he was dragging his bed out of my room in a fit and acting more masculine than I've seen in ages, and yet he still ended up back in my room sleeping as a girl again! It's almost like he_ prefers _his female form!_

 _What a perv-_ She caught herself mid-sentence, leaning back and banging her head softly again her wall. _No. That's not right. I called him that in gym class and it hurt him, and I care about him too much to do something like that to him again._

 _But what if… what if he's actually a girl?_

Akane had seen transvestites on television, usually as gags on the dumb sitcoms Yuka liked watching. They were always over-dramatic and overblown with crazy outfits and way too much make-up. Really, the only reason people found them funny was because of how fake they were. Watching Ranma sleep on her spare futon, that seemed so far from the truth. _He's been acting like a_ real _girl, not one of those pe- people on TV. Hell, he even has the body to go along with it._

 _He is, isn't he? He's like one of those people._ Something about the word transvestite didn't sit right with her, and she crossed her arms tight across her chest in confusion. How could she reconcile her mental image with her best friend? For that matter, how could Ranma?

 _Oh god, his father pumped him so full of all of that dumb "man among man" bullshit! If he… really is a she, how's he supposed to get over that?_

She buried her head in her hands, distraught on her fiance's behalf. _I can't believe I was ever such a jerk to him about all this._

 _Why else would he want to sleep as a girl?_

"Psst! Akane!" Her head shot up, and she flinched as she saw Ryoga hesitantly peeking in her door. Leaping from her bed, she tiptoed past Ranma and slipped into the hallway.

"What the hell?! You don't just go peeking into girl's rooms without knocking, _idiot_." Akane shook her head, deeming his expression appropriately chastised. "Is something wrong?"

Ryoga scratched his ear. "I- Um, actually, I was worried about Ranma and I… Is something wrong? I mean, cause I thought he was acting weird last time I saw him but he was acting _really_ weird today."

Akane sighed. "Let's go out into the dojo, okay? I don't wanna wake him up. I can explain everything."

Ryoga nodded, and the two teens crept away from their sleeping friend. Behind them, Kasumi sighed and let her door slip shut again, worried about Ranma but relieved that he had friends who cared.

 **[A/N] The introductory arc ended last chapter, so we're on to the gymnastics arc! I don't plan on doing most of the filler, but I'm partial to these episodes and I do want Kodachi to be in this story. It'll be three parts, probably, and I might try to get them all out before my summer hiatus (mid-June to late August).**

 **Also, isn't it incredible how much a different first impression changes things? Obviously Akane still has quite the temper, but at this point she's too worried about Ranma to let it control her in quite the same way it did before. This is why I love character development :)**

 **Your reviews were lovely as always. Thank you to Beedok, Raineh Daze, Armiture, flairina, Siatru, Ergoemos, Maltrazz, Katt1848, king of fans, and two guests!**

 **Your feedback keeps me going on this story, so please remember to review! Signing out, Allie.**


	11. Odd One Out

Chapter Eleven: Odd One Out

 **Ranma**

Cool mist hung low over the Tendo backyard, seeping into the dojo through the half-opened door. Inside, a red-haired girl was busily springing around the room, bouncing from wall to wall as she furiously kicked and punched at an unseen enemy. Ranma had a goofy smile over her face – Akane and Pops were both still asleep, so she had the dojo all to herself. She had woken up in a surprisingly good mood, considering everything that had happened in the past two days, and had gone straight to the dojo to savor it. She had considered changing back to her male form, but something whispered that thinking about her curse would ruin her mood, so she had brushed past the furo and started her katas. She made it through two before she gave up and just started practicing her aerial maneuvers freeform.

If Ranma was being completely honest with herself, it had been a while since she had just let herself have fun. Imagining anyone with the last name Kuno as her victim just made the workout sweeter. Springing from one punching bag to the next and springboarding off the ceiling, she could almost forget about the events of the past two days.

"Ranma?" Ryoga stood in the entryway to the dojo, arms crossed as he watched her practice.

Ranma nearly smacked herself as she came to an abrupt stop; she had nearly forgotten Ryoga was staying with them. "Hey, Ryoga, what's up?"

He blinked, looking up and down her body in an incredibly obvious manner. "You weren't bed so I figured you'd be practicing, I just didn't expect..." He waved his hand at Ranma.

Suddenly self-conscious, Ranma crossed her arms over her chest. "I was practicing agility," she told him, defiantly meeting his eyes. _It's my body either way, what's the big deal?_

Ryoga opened his mouth, then closed it again. Finally he found voice for his question. "What's it like?"

"What's what like?"

"Having a curse." Ryoga waved his hand at Ranma's body. "I mean, I almost got one too..." He shivered at the idea of having to turn into a pig with cold water.

What was it like having a curse? Ranma could think of some choice words. Pushing down some of her more _vulgar_ reactions, she said, "It sucks."

"Really?" Ryoga seemed taken aback. "But you can- y'know…"

"I don't know," Ranma deadpanned.

"You can turn into a _girl_ ," he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Ryoga, I have no idea what you're trying to say to me right now."

Shrugging helplessly, Ryoga pointed at her boobs, a little trickle of blood coming from his nose. "I mean, if I had that curse..."

Ranma looked from her chest to Ryoga's nose bleed and finally made the connection. " _Ew_!" she shrieked, her mouth hanging open in disgust. "You think that just because I- You think that's all that matters about this?"

Realizing he had made a terrible mistake, Ryoga backed away from Ranma. "I- That's not what I think, I- I had a sleepover with a bunch of guys before I met you in middle school and someone asked what they would do if they got a girl's body and… I just figured because you're a guy and all..."

Every ounce of good mood Ranma had been carefully collecting vanished. Closing his eyes – _you're a guy and all –_ he fought his emotions down for a long moment, which was harder in his female form. When he snapped his ice-cold eyes open, Ryoga, having backed away from him, froze in place. "Ryoga Hibiki, prepare to die!"

 **Akane**

Akane sat on the edge of her bed, thoughts not properly processing through her brain yet. She vaguely registered the sounds of fighting outside and the empty futon at the foot of her bed. _Are Ramna and Genma sparring again?_ With a yawn and a stretch, she pushed away from her covers, lazily making her way to breakfast.

Nobody was eating. Instead, Soun, Genma, and Nabiki sat by the screen doors while Kasumi looked on behind them, hands clasped together against her chest. "What's going on?" Akane asked, walking over to stand beside her eldest sister.

"Ranma's trying to kill Ryoga," Nabiki responded evenly, twisting back to look at her sisters. Akane glowered at her, her fury about her spying still unabated, then did a double take. "What?!"

Running out past the spectators, she stopped short when Ryoga rolled to the ground at her feet. Springing up, he and Akane both had to dodge out of the way of a wild ki attack. "Ranma, listen to me, I-"

"Pervert! Shut up!" Ranma launched himself at Ryoga, his female form's red hair streaming out behind him. Ryoga narrowly dodged an aerial kick, kickflipping against the side of the house and vaulting off the roof to enter close combat with Ranma from above. Akane winced as Ranma landed a kick on his side, then gasped as Ryoga punched Ranma away from him. His superior strength sent Ranma flying like a ragdoll, and the other martial artist careened into the fish pond, splashing the entire audience.

Akane had had enough. Running out into the middle of the backyard, she put herself between the two boys and yelled, "Both of you stop!"

Ranma clambered out of the koi pond. His pink silk shirt clung to his chest, and his red hair hung down in disheveled ropes. "'Kane, get out of the way," he growled.

She looked at him, tensing at the anger she saw. "What did he do?"

"He- he-" Ranma's eyes narrowed, and he jabbed a finger at Ryoga. "That _pervert_ said the only thing a guy would do with-" Ranma broke off for a long moment, then helplessly gestured to his body. "Is to- to, I- you know- to, to..." Giving up any attempt trying to vocalize his thoughts, Ranma tried to launch himself at Ryoga again.

Akane stepped in his path and smoothly intercepted her fiance. When he relaxed slightly in her embrace and looked at her, the fight went out of his eyes. "What did he say?"

"He asked if because I'm a- guy and have this body, if I… used it?" Ranma whispered furiously. "Let me kill him. I-"

Akane pulled him into a tight hug, shaking her head at Ryoga's utter stupidity. "He's hurting you," she whispered back. "We both know you can't take hits as well like this."

"I don't care! Let me kill him!" Ranma whisper-shouted to her, and she shook her head.

"Let me."

Ryoga's eyes widened as Akane and Ranma let go of each other, the latter standing with barely-controlled violence. Akane stalked towards him, and he held up his hands. "Akane, wait, I didn't mean it! I was just-"

She slapped him as hard as she could. Ryoga's hand flew to the red mark on his face as she grabbed his shirt and yanked him towards her. "Did you listen to _anything_ I told you last night?" she hissed.

"I didn't think it was that big of a deal," he protested. "We used to talk about that sort of stuff all the time in middle school… although I guess not really around Ranma…"

"Oh, _all the time_ , huh?" Akane asked, her voice deceptively understanding.

Ryoga took her expression at face value and nodded hopefully. "Yeah, and I was just curious cause, y'know, he actually _has_ a girl form and I wanted to know if the guys were right."

Akane kneed him in the balls. Squeaking, Ryoga sank to the ground, and she pointed at the door. "Leave. Leave, and don't come back until you stop thinking with your dick."

"But-" 

Akane's expression had no sympathy for Ryoga, and she pointed at the street. "I don't care about your curse. Maybe if you ever make it back to Nerima, you can try _apologizing_ for being an insensitive, pig-headed asshole!"

Ryoga's eyes were wide. "But what about my stuff?"

"I don't care. _Go!_ "

Getting to his feet with a betrayed and confused expression, Ryoga whimpered in pain and hobbled out of the dojo before Akane could use the ki mallet building up in her hand.

"Ryoga, wait!" Kasumi dashed out of the dojo after Ryoga, his pack in hand. Akane moved back towards Ranma, her anger abating with Ranma's desolate expression. Without questions, she embraced him, flipping her father off as Soun made an audible comment to Genma about the schools being joined. Moments later, Kasumi returned empty-handed. Looking at her little sister, she said disapprovingly, "That was cruel, Akane."

Akane glared at her. How dare Kasumi take Ryoga's side?! "He deserved it. Besides, if I hadn't stepped in, Ranma would have sent him to the hospital."

Kasumi gave her an even worse look, and Akane's stomach twisted. Was Kasumi actually mad? That frightened her more than anything Ranma would ever say or do. "You know what his curse is like. Were you actually going to send him wandering with no money, no food, and no gear?"

"He deserves it!" she declared, uncertain.

Kasumi looked from Akane to Ranma and back. "Ryoga was our guest. You both need to treat others better."

" _I_ need to learn how to treat others better?" Ranma asked incredulously. "He's the one that asked me-"

"A perfectly reasonable question for a teenage boy to ask another teenage boy in your situation," Kasumi said curtly, her discontent simmering back below the surface. Ranma seemed to shrink back into himself, and Akane wanted to strangle her sister. How could she be so inse- _wait, she's not wrong. I wouldn't put it past a single boy at school to, well…_ _If anything, this just proves my theory about hi- he- no, wait, shit… um, proves my theory about Ranma._

Soun nodded in agreement, while Gemna simply looked thoughtful. "You are a guest in this house as well, Ranma," the Tendo patriarch said sternly, moving a piece on the shogi board. "And Akane, I had hoped you had learned to control your temper better than this."

Akane looked uncertainly from Soun to Ranma, who looked desolate. "I don't care! Ryoga had no right to say that to Ranma!"

Genma stood up, looking slightly menacing. "You are a man among men, boy, and I expect you to act like one," he declared. "Wipe that pathetic expression off your face and change out of your weak form! Any healthy young man would jump at the opportunity to have a body like yours." His expression grew dreamy and lecherous, and Akane and Nabiki looked at each other with expressions of complete disgust.

Silently, Ranma rose to his feet and stalked into the house. He poured the contents of the tea kettle on the stove over his head, grabbed his backpack, and turned back around. "I'm going to school," he told the adults flatly, then strode out of the dojo.

Akane gaped after him for a second, then narrowed her eyes at the adults. "That was disgusting," she snapped at them, stalking into the house to get dressed, her appetite gone.

Kasumi frowned at her as she passed. "What's gotten into you, Akane? I know you two have been getting along well, but that doesn't explain how you treated Ryoga. Why would Ranma care about his female form anyways? It _is_ just a curse, after all."

Akane froze. _I can't answer that. I don't_ know _the answer to that._ After a long moment, she just decided to ascend the stairs and ignore Kasumi. _Maybe I shouldn't have kicked Ryoga out… Kasumi's so understanding… How was I supposed to know that she'd take hurting hospitality so poorly?_

When she thought about it, it made perfect sense that Kasumi had gotten so angry. She could remember Nabiki getting yelled at when she had bribed a houseguest to leave a few years ago. _Still…_

 _Ryoga deserved it, anyways. I explained everything to him and he still had to go and put his stupid foot in his mouth!_

Throwing on clothes and grabbing her backpack, she hurried out of the dojo after her fiance, but Ranma was already gone.

 **Ranma**

"I have a question."

The entire boys locker room froze and stared at Ranma, who had pulled his pink shirt on and was standing uncomfortably by Hiroshi and Daisuke. It was a strange enough occurrence for their most unusual classmate to be in the locker room at all, but for him to directly address the entire class caught their attention immediately.

Hiroshi and Daisuke exchanged a wary glance. "Yeah, what's up?" Hiroshi asked.

Ranma blushed and looked away, then caught himself. _Shit, I'm in a locker room. Why can't I just act normal?_ Forcing himself into his cocky persona, he asked, "What would you do if you had a girl's body?"

Daisuke's eyes went wide; everybody else contemplate the question. After a few moments, one of the sleazier boys in the class and said, "Dude, are you kidding me? If I was a hot chick, I'd pick up a hot guy and get laid!"

Another boy made a face. "With another guy? That's weird, bro. I'd just fuck myself. That shit's supposed to feel amazing."

"Yeah, totally!" one of his friends agreed. The room erupted into discussion, arguing over what they would do first if they could magically become a girl.

Ranma felt like puking in disgust. He had honestly not believed Ryoga, but now-

"Hey, what about Ranma?"

Someone shoved him from behind. "Yeah, he's the one who asked the question. Why does he care?"

Hiroshi shot him a look and shuffled closer to him. "If you don't want to answer-"

Every time Ranma went back and replayed the scene in his head, he wished he could have beaten up every boy in the locker room. He wished he could have simply walked out, left them behind, and gone on with the rest of his day.

Instead, he shoved his feeling down as far as possible, brushed Hiroshi off, and said, "Are you kidding me? Of course I'd fuck myself, I'd rather die than go anywhere near any of you losers!"

The locker room jeered, and attention drifted away from Ranma. Ignoring his friends, he gathered his stuff and pushed his way out into the hall. If he had been in female form, he would be…

If he was is female form, what would he be?

He didn't know the answer anymore, and that scared him more than anything.

 **Akane**

"Ryoga was right."

Akane dropped her combat stance as Ranma interrupted their spar, taking the brief pause to wipe the sweat from her brow. It was a cool afternoon, and she had opted for sweat pants and an old long sleeve shirt instead of her summer workout clothes for the first time that year. Ranma hadn't even broken a sweat – a few weeks ago, that would have irked her, but now she was simply resigned to the fact that he was _way_ out of her league, as far as martial arts went. "What do you mean?"

Ranma sighed, fingering the collar of his shirt. They had walked right home from gym, and he had barely spoken a word on their walk. Akane didn't mind the silence, but she was still worried. "I asked the guys in the locker room. What they would do if they turned into girls, I mean."

 _What?_ Cautiously, Akane asked, "And what did they say?"

"What Ryoga was thinking, but worse. Way, way worse." Ranma sat down on the dojo floor cross-legged, and Akane slowly sank after him. "I mean, it makes a lot of sense, but I guess..." He trailed off, distant.

Akane sighed. "Why did you react so badly? I mean, if Ryoga and all the guys think that, why is that worth getting so angry over?"

"I don't know."

A car zoomed past outside the dojo. A cold gust of wind spun through the dojo, sending shivers down her arms. "You know you can tell me anything, Ranma," she murmured, staring past him at the koi pond. "You're my closest friend, I think. I'll listen, I-"

"Tell you what?" Ranma demanded, catching her attention. "There ain't nothing to tell! Guys are supposed to think girls are just for fucking, and I don't! How the hell am I supposed to be a man amo-"

"Idiot." Akane glared at him, cutting off his masochistic rant. "Guys don't have to be perverts. If anything, you're more of a man cause you don't say the same awful things as them!"

For some reason, Ranma turned his face down in shame. "I ain't been acting manly," he scowled. "If we weren't living here, Pops woulda kicked my ass for being so girly."

"Screw him. Screw all of them." Akane took his hand and squeezed it. "They don't have your curse. They have no idea what you're going through. You can still be a guy and not be obsessed with sex all the time."

Ranma met her eyes, silent for a long time. His hand tightened around hers, and he seemed to be searching for words. "Akane, I-" The gate to the dojo slammed open and he immediately stopped talking.

"You what?"

"Nothing. It's nothing." Letting her hand drop, he got to his feet and turned his back to her. "I'm done sparring."

 _What did he try to say_? Unwilling to let him just walk away, she ran after him and grabbed his wrist. "Ranma, wait."

Ranma turned back to face her, ripping his arm away. "What?"

Akane stared up at his face, her stomach light as she intensely studied his features. _He looks tired. He looks so, so tired._ "Promise me. Promise me that if you need to talk about something that you'll tell me," she whispered, fighting to keep herself from reaching out to him again.

Ranma's face softened, and he nodded. "Yeah. Thanks, 'Kane."

"Of course." Before he could walk away, she decided to spit out the other thing on her mind out. "I figure I already know the answer, but you don't want to do the martial arts gymnastics thing in your girl form, do you? The girls made me promise I would ask." She made a face both at the idea and the white lie, but she needed to make sure he didn't want to.

Ranma shook his head after a moment. "Nah, I ain't gonna do girly stuff like that," he said with a bit of a wistful expression. "It would be nice to beat Kuno's sister, though. That girl was insane!"

Akane was almost disappointed with his response; she had thought he might want to do it, but now that she really thought about it, it made sense that he didn't. _God, why does everything have to be so complicated?_ Brushing her feelings aside, she shrugged. "Fine by me. Wanna go study?"

"Yeah, that sounds good to me."

Akane followed Ranma into the house, his pigtail swaying behind him. Something told her the Ryoga incident wouldn't go away today, and she just hoped that Ranma would trust her enough to let her help him when it blew up in their faces.

 **[A/N] Been a hot second, hasn't it? This chapter's been a pain in the ass, and I'm so glad to finally be done with it! Love to everyone who supported this story while I was away, y'all are the best. I love the Ranma fandom :) Thank you to Katt1848, Raineh Daze, Siatru, AshK1980, HatoMada, Infernezor, and Cynical Rabbit for reviewing!**

 **Love, Allie**


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